Monsters Within
by willwrite4fics
Summary: Focusing on Snake Eyes, this will be a grim story, don't be fooled by the beginnings. I change POV in places. Any text contained by ** is dialog signed in ASL, any text contained by is written notes. What if Snake Eyes was transferred?
1. Chapter 1

This is a grim story, forewarned art thou.

Focusing on Snake Eyes, cause he's my fav.

There will be death(non-character death). Severe Warning for Grimness(later in story). As always reviews make writer happy. This will be LONG, but I'm 2/3rd done, and will post chapters. Some Chapters may be short, some long. I do change POV at times, and all dialog contained by * text * is referencing Snake Eyes signing ASL. It got real old real fast to write "He signed.." over and over. Written notes should be contained as ^^ text ^^. I tried to keep the language 'not so bad'.

Any questions? Please ask. Comments? Please post.

Thank you for reading.

*Landing strip at the Pit*

The transport plane's engines droned to a low roar as it slowed and taxied to a stop. Once the cargo door was lowered, Snake Eyes lifted his bag to a shoulder and trotted down to head for the edge of the runway. The greenshirts were already swarming about, pushing boxes and driving forklifts, and he wasn't needed. They avoided the mysterious ninja, having heard, and repeated, too many tales of his deadliness to want to chance getting too close. He smiled beneath his mask slightly as a young grunt nearly walked into him looking at his clipboard, and dodged sideways away from him with wide eyes at the last second. His reputation on base served to keep most people out of his way. After this mission, he could look forward to some time at the base, perhaps catching up on his two wayward apprentices' training. General Hawk was always good about breaks between missions, even simple ones like his last foray to gather intel on a small operation. It had turned out to be a fairly unimportant Cobra affiliate. The photos and files Snake Eyes had snitched from the tiny headquarters already had caused it's dissolvement by local authorities. Minor group, no real danger, and little risk. Not the way most of his missions went, but the weird little group had been overestimated by the big bosses, giving Snake Eyes a virtual cake-walk to breeze through. He'd spent an extra day laid over on his trip back, just to avoid dealing with civilian airports, but since it was an open-ended mission, no one should have missed that one extra day. If it kept him from dealing with the public and their disgusted looks at his masked face, he'd take the chance of annoying Duke a bit by being one day late.

"Snake Eyes!" He turned his head to see Shipwreck leaning against a jeep. "Yo! I'm here to drag your sorry butt to the Pit. Jump in." Tossing his bag into the back seat, the ninja listened to his teammate natter on about nothing on the short ride. The latest gossip tidbits(half of which would always turn out to be untrue), comments about Roadblock's upcoming menu(always of interest, even when he rarely ate in the messhall), and the continual lusty thoughts about various Joe female members.. sans Scarlett(only due to the fear of painful dismembership by the present partner sitting next to him) rattled in one ear and out the other on the drive. The jeep bounced over rough patches of road, and Shipwreck threw in complaints about the state of the roads for good measure. Even if Snake Eyes hadn't been mute, there wouldn't have been much opportunity to slip in any words of his own.

"Alright... here you are. GET OUTA DA WAY!" Shipwreck's loud yelling scattered the few mechanics in the large garage bay. Their derisive shouts turned to welcomes when they spotted the resident ninja getting out. "Yeah! Snakes is back, going downstairs boys... save me some dirty greasy work for later!" The sailor's raucous laughter sounded loud as the hydraulic lift began to sink into the floor. A empty oil can got chucked down at the pair, which Snake deftly caught and pitched back upwards just before the upper doors closed. "HA!! Take THAT you losers!!" Snake Eyes looked at the man quietly through his visor until he sobered. "Sorry.. but hey, they threw it!" He looked away, his silent chastisement enough to make for a fairly quiet ride down.

Four levels down was long enough for Shipwreck to begin chattering again. "So tell me Snakes.. how'd your latest ultra-super-duper-so-secret-it-must-be-awesome mission go?" He rocked a hand side to side in answer. "Just so-so?" He nodded, then shrugged slightly and tipped his head forward miming sleep. "Boring one huh?" Another nod. "Well, you know how that chinese saying goes about cursed with excitement. Excitement usually means someone is trying to shoot you in the butt, I think I'd rather be bored."

*Me too. Sleeping is easier than dodging* His signs brought more laughter.

"You got that right. Here ya go, offices, officers, and lingerie. Have fun reporting. I'll tell Roadblock to save you supper." Snake Eyes gave him a wave of thanks and strode down to the main offices, passing by various teammates who greeted him. His nods in return told them he was busy, so no one stopped him. Most of the Joes would be in the messhall at this time of day, and if Roadblock was the cook tonight, everyone who could eat there, would make the effort. He hoped Shipwreck remembered his promise. Eating MREs and beef jerky got him by, but a good hot meal would really be a treat right now.

"Snake Eyes, I thought you'd be back earlier." Cover Girl gave him a brilliant smile. Her perfect face and body shifted behind the desk as she got up to poke her head into the office door behind her. She returned to her seat with her usual grace and poise and tilted a hand over her should towards the door. "Go right in, General Hawk is waiting... impatiently..." He lifted a shoulder and walked in, handing over the file he'd carried with him and standing at attention.

"At ease." He relaxed to parade ground stance, looking over his commanding officer. He was looking a bit more harried than normal, frustrated over some political machinations, or office squabbles no doubt. As head of the Joe team, he had all the normal commanding officer issues, in addition to the bureaucratic idiocy, plus he had to deal with some of the highest authorities there were in the United States, while running a secret branch of the military formed of the most elite and therefor the most odd-ball bunch of grunts anyone could gather. Snake Eyes didn't envy him the task. "I was expecting you at the very latest yesterday." The file was lifted and flipped through briefly. "The organization, if one wanted to grace it with such a title, is pretty much defunct. A few tips to the local authorities closed them down, with the pictures you got. All the more sensitive files came by our courier system day before yesterday. Did you have trouble getting out?" Snake eyes shook his head, then signed slowly.

*I took an extra day to use military transport, Sir.* Hawk's eyes narrowed slightly. He was indeed in a bad mood.

"I see. Next time, you should remember that a... timely.... return to base is also a important part of a correctly run mission."

A stiff nod served to answer. The ninja held himself at a proper stiff parade rest, his only deviation was his movements to sign his words to the general. Several more questions relating to the organization he'd spied on followed. Eventually Hawk ran out of things he wanted to ask.

"You get off easy this time. No shooting or fighting, according to the short report I got." Another nod. "I want you to write up the detailed report.. yourself. Make sure I get a copy by Oh-five-hundred tomorrow." He stared at Snake Eyes for a moment. "Glad to have you back, dismissed." A sharp salute and he turned and left, mentally cursing that he would have to spend the next morning typing up a report, rather than any of the more relaxing or stimulating things he 'could' havebeen doing. Running the advanced hand-to-hand training or just running through a few practices would be top of the list. He sighed to himself. He respected General Hawk more than anyone else he'd served under. But even good men get grumpy, and typing up a report wasn't exactly horrible punishment. He stepped into the elevator and rode it up to the quarters. His tiny room seemed a oasis of comfort, despite the size and the sparse furnishings. He dropped his bag next to his bed, and scooped up a note lying on the pillow.

*Hey Snakes! Missed you tons, had to zip out on a training exercise, see you when I get back! S.* He flipped it over to see if there was more, disappointed when there wasn't. Scarlett wasn't much for long letters, especially not when it was just to inform him why she wasn't around. He'd have preferred to see her right away, but then, there were many things he'd prefer. Another puffed out sigh and he grabbed a fresh set of clothing and headed for the showers. With most of his teammates in the messhall, he could snatch a hot shower and get cleaned up in relative privacy. While many of them had seen his damaged face, no one would ever want to if they didn't have to. He preferred to keep it hidden from view, and most of the Joes would agree it was more comfortable all around. They weren't cruel, but it was a fact of his life.

Hot water and soap made his attitude improve. Other than Spirit who was leaving when he arrived, he had the baths to himself. He barely glanced at the mirror, only looking to note that he needed to clipper his hair soon. Easier to keep it short under his hood and mask.

By the time he made it to the dining hall, it was only a third full. As soon as he was spotted walking in, there was a spate of loud greetings. He signed his replies, and got in line for food. There wasn't a lot left, but when Roadblock spotted him, he grinned widely and came up with a couple of his favorites.

"Shipwreck told me you just got in! Gotcha some good ole' meatloaf and roasted potaaatos, saved it for our best ninja. Gotta keep you fed so you don't go a chewin' up too many of the recruits, right?" He rolled his eyes but eagerly took the tray, signed quickly.

*Thanks, I will thank Shipwreck, I thought he would forget to tell you* Roadblock grinned and then smacked the counter when Clutch whined at him from further back in line.

"Because Snakes just got in from a mission! That's why he gets something special saved fer him. You just been workin' in the danged motorpool!" Clutch leaned in to mock argue, while Snake Eyes moved to a corner of the room to eat. Lifting his mask upwards enough to eat didn't expose much of his face. It didn't make him want to sit with others even so. The food was delicious and he was much hungrier than he thought. By the time he finished and slid the mask back into place, keeping a soda with a straw to sip at, he was joined by Stalker, Duke and LadyJaye.

"You're back, how'd it go?" Stalker settled into a chair with his customary glass of milk for the evening. Snake Eyes signed, using the quick shorthand with his oldest friend in the Joes.

*Quick, in-out, pictures, no meeting* That filled Stalker in, although LadyJaye and Duke tilted their heads questioningly at each other. Snake Eyes elaborated a little. *Fact finding, no fighting* Duke nodded.

"Good, easy peasy missions are the best kind. We just came in from a light-weight firefight.. took down a few BATS and captured a handful of Cobra grunts." LadyJaye leaned back in her chair.

"Scarlett is running a training mission for some of the newer guys. She should be back tomorrow. I heard Hawk is on a rampage, he's been cranky as hell."

*She left a note, Hawk is pissy, I have to write my own full report because I was a day late* Duke and Stalker made faces. Duke fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers.

"I hate paperwork. Every time I turn around there's more of it. For a top-secret group, we sure have to report to a lot of folks by the numbers of papers I have to fill out every day." LadyJaye rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh puuuulease! I happen to know that you have half the secretarial pool mooning over you and they do almost all your filing and typing." Snake Eyes snorted.

*They have to, he types with two fingers, they would wait for weeks to get anything finished* Duke smirked.

"Har-de-har-har. Well just for that, you'll have to do your own paperwork Mr Ninja with mad typing skills." Stalker laughed.

"He does have some typing skills, and of course, the prettiest handwriting ever. We should get him pink paper to use, and he could write all our valentine notes for us to our sweeties!" Snake Eyes gave him the finger while the other two laughed.

*You wish I would. You are jealous.* Stalker laughed and stood up.

"Yeah yeah. My fingers are better are shooting than typing. Too many punching of recruits and Cobras to be nimble enough for pretty cursive writing. See you tomorrow.. late after you spend half the day typing..." He walked away, still chuckling. LadyJaye excused herself to go chat with Covergirl. Breaker stopped long enough to ask twenty questions in rapid succession. Gung-ho broke it up when he reminded Breaker and Duke that the betting pool was over if Snake Eyes had finally made it back to the Pit. Ace was handling the argument over the exact time they should count him back when Snake Eyes slipped out. He debated carrying his weapons down to the armory and cleaning them that night, but decided that rest was in order. Besides, Grunt would be manning the armory this late, and he preferred to strip and clean his gear himself properly, rather than let someone do an 'okay' job.

Walking down the hallways, he whirled suddenly and caught his apprentices as they leapt at him. Dangling one from each hand, he drew them forward and shook his head. Kamakura kicked his feet rather ineffectively, while Jinx tugged at his hand.

"Greetings Sensei!" "Aww poops." He dropped Kamakura to the floor and held Jinx a second longer until she stopped struggling. "Greetings Sensei." He let go of her and watched as she landed lightly on the balls of her feet. He wagged a finger at them.

*Did you truly think to take me unaware? Rash younglings.* Kamakura scrambled to his feet and gave a short bow.

"Merely training and practicing as you instruct us, Sensei." Jinx snorted.

"We followed you from the messhall, that should count for something." Snake Eyes felt his lips twitch as he tried to suppress the smile at their dueling personalities.

*You followed me from Duke's office* Jinx looked away.

"That's nearly at the messhall... " She looked slyly at him from the corner of her eye. "We have been practicing, and waiting for you to come back, Kamakura can almost do all the katas without coaching now." The larger young man shifted and tried not to look irritated.

"I CAN do all the katas, I don't need any 'coaching' from you. I think I would term it 'unwanted commentary' myself." She smirked back at him, having gotten him to rise to her baiting. Snake Eyes clicked his tongue at them and both straightened to stand attentively.

*You both will run through all the katas five times tomorrow.* He rather enjoyed the looks of dismay. *Perhaps you can learn to work together instead of being at each other's throats* Jinx started to protest but thought better of it. Kamakura let out a huge sigh.

"All of them? But that will take hours!" Snake Eyes crossed his arms and he rushed to add, "It will be hours of good practice... " Now he gave a sly look at the slender woman next to him. "... for both of us." Her eyes narrowed and the ninja master held his hands up in despair.

*Hopeless. You'll both give me gray hairs. Why did I agree to take on apprentices?* Both of them protested immediately.

"We'll stop argueing!" "I'm sorry!" He gave them a severe look. He was very proud of them both, and had high hopes for Jinx in particular to reach master status one day in the future, if he could curb her fiery temper. Pairing her with the placid Kamakura had seemed a good idea.. before the squabbling. He turned to continue to his room and they fell in behind him, Jinx needing to almost trot to keep up with the two men's longer legs. He knew that irked her. True to form, she had to speak up.

"Will Sensei require anything tonight?" He shook his head.

*I'm going to bed. Stay out of trouble.* They chorused agreement. *Remember katas tomorrow.. five times* He heard a more chastened chorus to that. Well, perhaps they would learn to stop bickering like children. And it would give him breathing room to do his paperwork. At times, he despaired of keeping up with two young apprentices, Scarlett, and his training duties, balanced with the missions. Of course, he'd been convinced to take on Kamakura by the argument that a second apprentice really wasn't twice the work.. of course, they hadn't mentioned that it would be quadruple the work, instead of less.

His door clicked shut behind him and he stripped off mask and clothing to collapse into bed. The odd bits of noise he could hear in the rest of the quarters filtered in, but instead of keeping him awake, the familiar sounds soothed him. After all, the Pit was as close to a home as he would have.

*Author's note

So it begins...


	2. Chapter 2

More of the set up, still rated T, more or less. Dealing with the typical day-to-day issues that arise in the Pit. Thank you for reading, and thank you to everyone who reviewed! Reviews make me write faster and better!

Chapter 2:

Finally done with all the various forms and reports, having typed them all out in triplicate and taken them to all the various offices, and dropped the copy of the full report off to CoverGirl who had taken pity on him and not required him to walk it into Hawk's office personally, Snake Eyes finally sighed in contentment as he entered the training hall with the matted floor and practice equipment.

"Snakes! Hey... just in time..." He forcibly repressed a sigh of frustration and took over a class of new recruits, running them through basic drills. Corrections were often and many, normally being made with a rap on a offending body part with a bo staff he carried. Since most of the greenies didn't understand ASL signs, he made do with body language and miming, replying on translations by Stalker, Flint or LadyJaye, whoever was at hand, otherwise. By the end of class he'd gotten the entire group to at least fall without killing themselves, and throw a few basic punches.

After the class, he took a few minutes to go check on his wayward apprentices. They looked sufficiently tired to have been working on the kata exercises as he'd instructed them. He let them think he was taking pity on them when he interrupted. Then he'd signed that once they were done, they could report to BeachHead topside to run the obstacle course 'until he was happy with them'. He was actually impressed that they both managed to not groan.

The rest of the day was spent working with individuals. Generally he worked with people to hone obvious skills to perfect their fighting abilities. Once in a great while, he had to take on a recruit who simply didn't know what to do. Some of them he wondered why they were being recruited to be Joes, although he knew that if Hawk had accepted them, they must have some talent that the team needed. Unfortunately for him, that talent was not always in the physical realm. They relied on him to be a good enough instructor to make a raw untrained recruit into a fighter, with or without inborn natural ability. Today was a horror show, with one slightly built young man, who was overtly terrified of the ninja, struggling to learn to throw even the most basic punches. Snake Eyes wondered to himself how he'd ever gotten through Basic training. After a frustrating half hour, he finally put him to punching a dummy stand. Then he'd had to correct him five times, pointing directly at the spot he was to punch, demonstrating a hard punch, and then stepping back to watch a half hearted whap land elsewhere below the spot.

*Hit here* He signed and pointed. *Hit it right here, not anywhere else* The young man looked blankly at him. Snakes clicked his tongue in frustration and waved Breaker over, signing furiously at him. *Tell him. Tell him to hit the dummy where I tell him to hit it and not anywhere else and to make a fist and punch it* Breaker held up a hand soothingly.

"You go too fast for me." The frustrated instructor signed all over again slower. "Okay... " Breaker explained slowly to the recruit, pointing at the spot, making a fist himself and throwing a quick punch into the padded dummy. Finally there was a few decent punches thrown. "See Snakes? You just had to show him what you wanted." At the tongue click noise they all associated with a very irked man, Breaker stepped back.

*I did show him, and see?* He pointed as the punches went awry, skipping off the edges and drifting below the spot. *He doesn't pay any attention* Suddenly he strode off and came back with a handful of chalk. Smacking it into the dummy bag in the right spot, he looked at the confused trainee. *Now punch that until the chalk is gone* When he turned to Breaker, Snake Eyes reached and snatched his shoulder back around and pointed. *Punch* He made a fist and punched the spot. Chalk dust flew up. *Do that now* He stepped back and watched another half hearted tap. *No, hit hard* He threw another punch hard into it. He reached and straightened the lower arm, lining up the fist and wrist properly, and manually guiding it to the bag. *Hard* One good hit, dead center of the chalk, and Snake Eyes clapped once. *Good* He pointed again, watching a handful of proper punches before needing to straighten the wrist out again. His mimes got through and eventually the young man seemed to understand the proper punch. He still didn't put a lot of force behind them, but at least he was connecting with the dummy with decent form.

Breaker nodded. "Much better. If you need me.." Snake Eyes waved him off and watched another few minutes before motioning for his trainee to continue while he walked to the mats to stretch and begin one of his loosening routines. Each turn and kick and strike flowed into the next, warming his muscles. He felt his body flowing in familiar patterns, leaping into the next form, kicking 'through' his imaginary opponents, striking outwards and recoiling inwards away from non-existent retaliatory punches. The rhythmical movements soothed him, letting him relax. Finishing the last kick, he landed lightly on the precise center of the mat and came to a stop. Straightening, he glanced to see how the trainee was doing, only to find him staring at the ninja with a awestruck look.

"How do you do that? I want to learn to do that, I've never seen something so graceful and beautiful!" A deep sigh and he signed.

*First learn to do your exercises* He pointed at the smudge on the dummy and watched the slumping shoulders. *Must learn to crawl before you can walk* Roadblock's loud laugh startled the recruit.

"We'd all like to do what Snakes does.. it'll take years before you get that good. Work on your basics." A stubborn look came over the young face.

"What good is punching a dummy over and over? I want to learn those kicks and stuff! This is just stupid!" The ninja suddenly leapt over and mock punched at him, startling him so badly he threw a hard right at him. Snake Eyes caught the fist in one hand, stopping it shy of his own face easily.

*That's why you learn a basic punch, and you do it over and over* Roadblock translated. *When it's second nature to punch correctly, you will learn something new* A slightly less stubborn look of understanding dawned. *Go back and finish your exercise* Roadblock chuckled as the raw trainee returned to the dummy bag to begin punching with determination.

"I don't envy you your job Snakes. You've got loads more patience than I, my friend." Snake Eyes smiled under the mask. He enjoyed instructing, and truly enjoyed training serious apprentices. Jinx was coming along so well, he had a hard time finding new sparring partners for her.

*Teaching is a good thing to do. Much better than shooting people.* Roadblock nodded.

"You got that right, my stealthy friend. You sure do got that right." Both of them stood in silent thought for a moment. Then Roadblock swiped suddenly at the ninja's head with one meaty arm. "Surprise sparring match!!" Snake Eyes ducked a second punch, and jabbed in three body punches, before leaping backwards out of range. For such a large man, Roadblock was surprisingly fast, mainly due to his constant sparring and training. Compared to the highly trained ninja however, he was moving in molasses, and only scored two blows before he landed on his back with a 'kill' to his throat. He ruefully accepted a hand to his feet. "One day, you'll be all thinking some deep ninja thoughts, and then I'll floor ya!" Snake Eyes shook his head and wagged a finger at him. Before he could sign a response, a wry voice spoke up from behind him.

"Give it up, you'll never take our best warrior down, you big musclebound lug." Whirling around, Snake Eyes opened his arms to catch his favorite redhead as she threw herself on him. "Hey Snakes! I heard you were back! Did you get my note? How'd the mission go, you okay?" He accepted the mauling, and then pushed her off.

*Slow down. I read your note, mission was fine, I'm fine. How did your training mission go?* She laughed and reached to punch Roadblock in one arm.

"It went as well as can be expected. We totaled a Mauler, ran it into a ditch. Hey Roadblock, I heard I missed a great dinner.. you cooking today too maybe?" He laughed a deep throaty laugh.

"No.. I'm off duty for two days in the kitchen. Gotta do some regular ole Joe duty rosters once in a while." Scarlett tucked her hair up into a ponytail and walked to begin her stretches.

"A girl can hope! Speaking of hoping.. Snakes better not be too tired out, I need a good sparring session." The big chef clapped his friend on his shoulder.

"Good luck, you'll need it, she might kick your sneaky butt." He got a shrug in reply and went back to his own working out on the exercise equipment. Snake Eyes picked out two practice sticks for sword work. He'd noticed the last few times he had sparred with her, she'd needed to practice. When she stepped onto the mat, he tossed one over and they faced off. As soon as they stepped onto the practice mat and bowed, interest in the room peaked. Good bouts were a pleasure to watch, and bouts between Scarlett and Snake Eyes provided the best entertainment.

Scarlett lifted her bokken practice sword up and gave the short bow to her opponent. He gave a deep nod as the sensei master and suddenly they both moved. Slashing, jabbing, kicking, whirling movement exploded across the small arena. Scarlett was amazingly fast and agile, and she'd been training in martial arts since she was young. Her attacks were neither halting nor weak, and centered on body shots on her black clad teacher. Both of them caught the other's blows with bokken blocking techniques, or sidestepped and ducked and leapt to avoid them. Snake Eyes took the first point, tagging her across one lean thigh when her block was too low. The sharp twack sounded loud in the quiet gym, everyone focusing on the match too much to talk or even cheer. The blow made Scarlett wince, but she riposted quickly, nearly scoring a head shot that was barely deflected. Her breath came fast, and she pushed aggressively, throwing one shot after another, in a swirling deadly ballet with her partner. So focused was she on getting through his defensive blocking that she left herself open to another blow to the ribs, making her stumble backwards. Snake Eyes suddenly moved in on the offensive, his movements precise and controlled. She was kept too busy blocking to be able to throw any shots at him, and backed across the mat. Suddenly she leapt over a low swing and kicked out, catching him unexpectedly across the face with her heel. He dropped to a knee and stabbed upward, narrowing missing her chest when she leaned backwards awkwardly to avoid it. Rolling to the side, he made her pursue him across the mat, which she did, slashing in a attempt to gain the upper hand. When he came to his feet, he lifted the bokken to block and punched her midsection when she left herself open again, too focused on the sword to remember his free hand.

The whoosh of breath leaving her made him pause for a bare instant too long and she regained control, tagging him in the right shoulder and very nearly catching him with a kill shot to the head again. He began backing again, making her chase him, and drawing her into a rhythm of cuts before dropping under her guard and scoring a double kill to her chest before she could correct. Both of them stepped back and stopped, their heavy breathing the only sound for a few seconds. Then she gave a mocking little bow and he bent slightly to acknowledge. The gathered onlookers started chattering about the fight and Scarlett walked off to the side, rubbing her sore spots and grinning ruefully.

"Well... that was terrible." Snake Eyes stretched his shoulders, running the bout through his mind a few times.

*Not terrible. You are sloppy.* She glared at his signing.

"I am not! Just because you won doesn't mean.." He interrupted.

*Your swordwork is sloppy. You need more work on blocking, your arm is low too often.* She scowled at him. *You are pretty when you pout, but you are still sloppy*. She threw her towel at him as he chuckled silently.

"You're just such a pain in my.." Her beginning tirade was interrupted.

"He is the Master of the dojo." She turned to glare with her hands on her hips at one of their teammates.

"LowLight! I know exactly what his qualifications are, and exactly how much more experienced he is. That doesn't mean that *I* am being sloppy! I'm not lazy and I'm no rank beginner!" Snake Eyes sighed and signed at her.

*Not lazy, not a beginner. You have worked too much on handwork and not enough with the swords lately. You need to balance it all, not focus so much on what you're best at* She snorted, and he puffed a little at her. *You want to be the best, so listen to what I'm telling you. I am trying to..* She abruptly turned away and he suppressed a flash of anger and stood with his arms crossed as she grabbed up her gearbelt to fasten it around her hips. When she turned back, he stood there waiting.

"Well, I do want to be best. I just don't like being criticized for not being better than you. I shouldn't have to be judged against a Master." He stood impassively. "What? Oh I know, you're the instructor, and it's your job to make me better. I'm just cranky because.. well.." She looked at the scuffed floor. "Well, because I'm sloppy at swordwork and I don't like to not be perfect." She gave him a lopsided smile. "So.. sorry I snapped at you. You're right, I'm wrong, I'll work harder on the swords." When he still stood there without responding, she cocked her head. "What? I apologized, I said you were right. What do you want?" She crossed her arms in unconscious imitation of his stance. "What is it??" He suddenly unbent his arms and signed slowly at her.

*When you turn your back on me, you take away the only voice I have left.* He turned and walked away, leaving her standing. He picked up his gearbag and sword, slinging the blade across his back in it's familiar position. Scarlett watched him leave, feeling a bit ashamed that she hadn't thought how it would feel to him when she dissed him.

"You're a bit harsh on your boyfriend at times." She turned to LowLight.

"I really don't need your opinion on my relationship with SnakeEyes." He gave a half shrug. She took a deep calming breath before she responded again. "Sorry. I really did not mean to upset him. I didn't think about how.. well.. how it would.. " She sighed. The sniper's low voice sounded calm as he leaned in.

"How it would mute him?" She felt heat rise in her face. "I'm sure he'll get over it. Sometimes we just have to think about how it is from his side of life. Snake Eyes is so skilled, and such an asset, sometimes we forget he is, in essence, disabled." She retorted hotly.

"He'd probably punch you for calling him disabled." He gave a soft chuckle.

"That's why I didn't say it to him." He walked away quietly, leaving her to fume. Call Snake Eyes disabled. He wasn't at all disabled by not having a voice. She paused in her thoughts, beginning her cooling down routine automatically. It was a.... well.. a liability at times. New people who came into the GI Joe program usually opted to learn ASL, in order to communicate with him better. If they didn't understand sign language, he could usually mime things well enough, or simply wrote things out on one of his ever present notepads. His muteness never seemed to become an issue, or at least not an important issue. She shook her head. This was ridiculous. Grabbing up her towel, she left for the showers.

End of chapter 2, please review. More upcoming quickly!


	3. Chapter 3

So not all is perfect in the Pit, of course not! No person is perfect! Just a little more of the day-to-day before things begin to happen.... As always thank YOU for reading my stories, and please review and tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you would like to see, and what you think is going to happen! This storyline right now stands at over 28,000 words already written, so there's plenty yet to come!

Chapter 3:

Snake Eyes sat lotus style on the floor of his room. He'd managed to dismiss both apprentices without being jumped in the hallways, snitched a sandwich to eat alone in his room, and now intended to finally relax his body properly. Dressed in only loose cotton pants, he was breathing slowly through his nose. There was just enough free space between his small desk and his bunk for him to settle in to meditate. Achieving the relaxed state for proper meditation was difficult tonight. Scarlett seemed to always find a way under his skin, even when she didn't get upset. He rolled his neck. He cared for her deeply, and they normally did quite well at balancing the relationship with being teammates and his being her teacher in the dojo.

He shifted his weight about a little bit and settled into stillness. Pond in sunlight... field without wind.. stones in sand... his inner peace slowly spread, relaxing his body and allowing his thoughts to still into the meditative state he sought.

*Knock knock knock* He ignored the noise. Still water... reflecting sunlight...

*Knock knock knock* He opened one eye and looked at the inside of his door. If he didn't go open it, the person would probably leave. He closed the eye again and concentrated.

*Knock knock knock* He sighed and got up fluidly. Plucking up his cloth mask, he slipped it over his head and opened the door. Scarlett stood there, hesitantly giving him a half smile.

"Hi." He blinked at her. "Ahh... is it a bad time?" He shook his head and stepped back, letting her into the room. Reaching around her, he scooped the books off his bunk and waved her towards it. She perched on the edge of it, while he turned his chair around to sit.

*Good evening* She fiddled with the edge of the blanket.

"Good evening to you too. I'm umm... I'm... Did I interrupt you doing something?" He shrugged.

*Nothing important. What is wrong* She looked at her knees a moment.

"I just.. I'm sorry about in the gym." He gestured to make sure she was paying attention and signed.

*It is fine, you don't like to not be the best, I should have phrased it better* She shook her head.

"No, I mean.. I'm sorry I turned my back on you. It was really rude, and hurtful. I did it because I didn't want to... well.. listen to you." He sat for a moment and she continued. "I really didn't think at all how it would.. it would be hurtful to use your.. I mean.. take advantage of.. ahh.. to.." She suddenly let out a huge breath, frustrated. He leaned towards her and gently touched her knee.

*You did not think how it would point out my disability.* She nodded.

"I just.. I sooo do NOT think of you having any disability. I honestly don't.. you're just... you're so frighteningly competent at everything.. and I guess I didn't think how it would just point out the one thing you can't do." She looked at him and smiled. "Why are you wearing your mask?" He reached up involuntarily to touch the edge of it. "You know it doesn't bother me." She knew that she was one of the few he would allow to see him, and even so, he would refuse when he was moody. After a few seconds, he pulled it off, looking away as he folded it on his desk. She smiled at him again. "Better. It's hard to read your expressions under that thing."

*I don't like you having to look at my face* She shook her head. *No. Don't. I have a mirror, and I know how horrible I look.* He frowned, the scars twisting grotesquely. Her hand reached out to cover his on the edge of the cluttered desk and she smiled as his expression gentled.

"You never look horrible to me. And... and I will remember not to act like a big jerk." He laughed silently, the short pants of air the only sounds to show his amusement.

*Until you get angry at me again* She grinned and mock slapped at him.

"Until I get angry again. But you can remind me again then, after you wipe the dojo floor with me... again." His laughter continued. "Sooo.. tell me how the mission went.." She curled her legs under her as he signed the short report to her. His hands so gracefully shaped the information out of the air, conveying so many nuances of the situations to her, that she wondered that anyone thought talking was so superior. Finally he wound down.

*And Hawk was upset that I took the extra day to report in. I guess I should have taken the civilian plane. I didn't know he was in a bad mood though." She nodded.

"Yeah.. he's been on a tear lately. I think it's budgeting and dealing with the Jugglers again. There's a couple of the big wigs on the board that just spend their lives trying to think up ways to raise his blood pressure I think." Snake Eyes nodded and watched her lean back against the wall. "While you were gone, Flint took a few of the guys and they took out that annoying installation Cobra was running in Nebraska." Snake Eyes looked surprised.

*The pig farm?* She laughed.

"That's the one. I gather there was a lot of hand to hand, and everyone came back and burned all the clothing they were wearing. It was fragrant, worse than BeachHead on a hot day." That made him laugh again.

*BeachHead is a good guy.* She held her nose.

"Yes, he's the best drill sergeant ever.. but he can stink worse than a platoon of motorpool grease monkeys." She watched him roll his eyes. Despite the fact that BeachHead took personal exception to the ninja breezing through most of his obstacle courses, the two sergeants got along famously well. She supposed it was being instructors for the Joe team, and being responsible for training them to keep themselves alive. It bred a camaraderie. Scarlett did some hand-to-hand training, being the second best at it in the unit. She patted the blanket beside her. "Are you really fond of sitting in that chair?" His crooked smile seemed shy and he moved to sit beside her on the bed. She grabbed his pillow and stuffed it behind him and then scooted over to sit back against his chest. "Much better. I need a stuffed ninja to cuddle with when you're gone on missions." He softly chuffed at her, pretending to be insulted. "Well, it's lonely when you're not here." He reached around her to sign in front of her, resting his chin on top of her head.

*You have a roommate, you can talk to Lady Jaye* She jabbed his ribs with her elbow. *Ow* She giggled.

"It's such a funny sign when you say 'ow' in sign language." He smiled and closed his eyes.

*I made it up. Apparently most mute people don't have the blazing need to express their pain often enough for a good 'ow' sign* She laughed with delight.

"You make up a lot of signs. Remember when you called Duke a ... what was it?" He chuckled with little silent puffs of breath.

*You mean a 'chair brick leaf'. He stayed confused for a week.* She grinned.

"Yeah.. if it wasn't so long, I'd say you should have made that his name-sign." He pulled her in tighter to his chest, hugging her gently. "Mmm.. I love you." He made the sign against her belly.

*I love you* She purred with contentment. The signed affection seemed somehow more than mere words. Her eyes closed and she relaxed in comfort in his arms.

Breakfast time:

"Is that ham or spam?" Snake Eyes peered through the sneeze guard.

*I think it might be pineapple* Scarlett snorted at him. The disinterested cook slopped some of whatever it was onto her plate. *You eat it and tell me how vile it is*

"Gee thanks. What are you having?" He pointed. "You can't eat just eggs." He shrugged and took his plate, pointing at the bread. "Oh... eggs and TOAST. You need to eat more than that." He shook his head at her, and nudged her side with a elbow to move her down the line. "I'm serious." She reached to set a bowl of fruit on his plate too. "No, you eat that too." He sighed at her. "Don't sass me or I'll make you eat the spam.. err.. pineapple too.." Smiling as he gave a mock shudder, she picked a table at the edge of the room, and pointedly didn't look at him while he ate. It was hard enough to get him to eat in the messhall with everyone already. If he thought people looked at the small amount of his face exposed, he'd go back to eating in his room all the time. She jumped when he rapped the table with his knuckles.

*Do you want anything else?* She shook her head and he walked his tray over to the pass through to the kitchen. When he came back, he set a pint of milk in front of her and raised his own in salute as he reseated himself. *You should drink more milk, it's good for your bones.* She made a face but opened it up.

"Coffee is good enough for breakfast." She chewed the last bites. "I really think you were right about it being pineapple... and that's a really scary thought." He clucked his tongue in amusement.

*I should break one of Roadblock's legs next time we spar, then he would be on cook duty for weeks* She gasped in fake horror.

"I'm telling him you said that!" He shook his finger at her.

*Don't you dare* She shook her finger back in imitation.

"I will tell, and then he will be so grateful, he'll let me have some of his infamous german chocolate cake!" She could detect the deep scowl through the facecloth as they left the messhall.

*I will steal half of your cake and thus profit from my misdeeds.*

"Like you could steal cake from me! How are you going to steal something that valuable from under my nose!?" He skipped a step ahead and turned to sign cockily at her.

*I'm a ninja* He suddenly dropped into a dramatic martial arts pose, then bounced up and moved out of her range. *I'm told we can steal all sorts of things from under you gaijin's noses.* She laughed loudly and waved.

"You're outrageous. I'm off to the offices, gotta compile the intelligence reports. See you later." He lifted a hand and walked away down a different hall to the lifts to head up to the obstacle courses aboveground.

"Sergeant Snake Eyes." He trotted across the finish line and turned to look at the greenshirt standing there. "General Hawk wants you in his office." He nodded at the young man who gratefully disappeared before he could be dragooned into the course by the approaching drill sergeant.

"Ninja my fat butt! My granny could have crossed that footbridge faster! What's wrong with you Snake Eyes? First you send those no account apprentices out here, and they take all danged day to get it right, now you go meandering through it yourself! Gotten all soft from hanging out with the girls too much?" Snake Eyes rolled his eyes. "Run it again, and this time don't lollygag around!" He signed that he needed to leave and BeachHead shouted at him louder. "I don't care if General Hawk himself wants you, you'll run this course again!!" The ninja took just a little relish in his reply.

*It is General Hawk* BeachHead sputtered at him.

"Well... gole dang it!! Fine! You'd just be slowing down all the rest of these worthless louts!" He strode off, already yelling at the next hapless set of Joes gamely making their way through the razor wire and across the series of rickety boards. They both knew the commando had done the course in record time, but the drill sergeant would never admit anyone was doing one of his courses with ease. On occasion he managed to slow the skilled ninja down enough to mollify his pride. The rest of the time.. he just yelled a lot.

End of chapter 3:

What's Hawk want? Is it time for action? Maybe so? Maybe no? Review and let me know how it's going!


	4. Chapter 4

Finally! I know I know, it's been a long wait! Hawk gives Snake Eyes a mission to go on with Breaker as his backup. This chapter is still pretty safe for all ages. How does Snake Eyes relate to other on the team? Reviews have been absolutely a delight! Please continue!

This chapter will be laid out in a slightly different way, please comment on what you think of it, because I still kind of like the way I normally do it.

As always, thank you for reading!

Chapter 4:

Hawk's office:

"Snake Eyes... come in, shut the door." The ninja quietly closed the door behind himself and stood at attention. "At ease.. you're headed out on a mission. I know, you just got back.." Snake Eyes nodded and took the offered file, flipping through it and then turning back to the front. "Infiltration, and stealing a new computer control board circuit. Cobra has developed something new, it's dangerous, and we want to get our hands on it, and get our hands on it now. You'll have a back up, but you'll be going in alone, Breaker will be outside the area, and you'll meet up after you have the item." The ninja pointed at a schematic in the file. "Yes, that's the latest intel on the Cobra research base. It's fully staffed with heightened security. We're hoping that your... err... unique skills will mean you can get in and get that control board, before Cobra is alerted to any problems. But it's imperative that we get that circuit!"

Snake Eyes snapped a salute and signed. *You can count on me Sir.*

General Hawk smiled grimly. "I know I can. We're lucky to have you on the team. You're a good man." This made the sergeant shift uncomfortably. "Breaker already has the transport information and extraction plans. I trust the two of you to be inventive if need be. Breaker is a good reliable Joe, I know we can count on you two to get this mission done."

A sharp nod in answer and he was dismissed. Snake Eyes moved at a trot back to his room, already thinking of what equipment to pack, and what he needed from the armory. Within half an hour, he was exiting the armory with two packs, his personal pack he could carry with him, and the secondary pack with extra gear and weapons he could leave outside the area with Breaker. His teammate had already sent a message down that he was up top ready to leave. Snake Eyes wrote a quick note to leave for Scarlett, and tucked the envelope under the door of the room she shared with LadyJaye. He felt a pang at the thought of how annoyed she would be about him leaving without finding her to say goodbye, but Hawk had been clear about how important and time sensitive this mission was. She would understand, even if he hadn't time to write a full explanation.

^Scarlett, I'm leaving, not sure when I'll be back. Keep working on the swords. I'll miss you. S.^

It was all he'd had time to write. He couldn't comment on the mission in writing, especially not in a open note that anyone could find. Scarlett knew how things worked though, and he was certain she would understand. He'd trust her to inform Jinx and Kamakura as well. He didn't need to nursemaid the two apprentices, they were reserve Joes, they only needed direction.

He whistled sharply to get the attention of the person in the elevator. They held the door for him and he nodded his thanks as they rode up two levels. "Headed out?" He nodded once. "Good luck, and come home safe." He only gave another nod, lost in thought, trying to be sure he was not forgetting anything he might need. No matter how many hundreds of missions he went on, he always felt as if he would forget something important THIS time. Moving to the main hydraulic lift, he signed to the operator to take it up. Setting the bags down, he clipped all the loose buckles on his harness together, adjusting the straps comfortably. Then he picked up his long coat, hanging it over his arm and shouldering the heavier of the two bags.

As he stepped off the lift, looking for Breaker, he heard a shout from Clutch. "Snake Eyes.. hey! Break a leg! Breaker's got the Hummer in the south bay." He waved his thanks and moved at a trot to the smaller hanger to find his teammate putting the last of his tech equipment into the back of the vehicle.

"Hey.. gimme that stuff." Breaker said. He ignored the smaller man to put the bag in himself. Breaker had a annoying tendency to think the only breakable objects were his tech gear. Noting that his teammate was in muftis, Snake Eyes threw on his coat, tugging the hood up to hide his mask and visor from casual view. "Did you bring your... uhh.. the face mask? I mean... we might need to pass for regular folks.."

The ninja puffed out a sigh, and signed quickly. *I doubt I'll need it, but it's in the bag, along with civilian clothing. Let's go.*

Breaker grumbled as he took the wheel, handing over the map book to his passenger. "Find the shortest way to hit the freeway, I can't remember which exit it is." Flipping the booklet open, Snake Eyes quickly found their route. "Man.. this is gonna be a hairy mission, I just feel it. OH.. hey.. there's a little flat case.. back behind my seat.." He began to try to feel around behind him, and swerved a little, so Snake Eyes twisted around to look. Finding a small palm sized metal case, he held it up. "Yeah, that's it. I dummied up a fake board for ya. It won't work or nothing, but just to look really fast at it, it should look just about like the one we're stealing." He got a snort as reply. "Oh, sorry, not stealing, 'appropriating from a improper owner'." Another snort. "Man, it's gonna be a long drive with no one to talk to."

Snake Eyes smacked at his arm. *I have ears. I talk.* So soon after the squabble with Scarlett, the comment stung him a bit.

"Oh yah.. well.. you know what I mean. I mean, with Shipwreck or Clutch or HeavyDuty, you know, I can talk about stuff, and they talk back." SnakeEyes slouched in his seat, a little bit put-out. "I mean, I can talk to you.. yeah, really. Don't be like that."

He looked out the window at the empty desert going by. *Fine. Don't talk to me. I don't have anything interesting to say anyway*

Breaker shut his mouth a minute. It was quiet in the cab of the hummer. "It ain't like I don't wanna talk to you. But I mean... we ain't got much in common, not like the other guys." Snake Eyes didn't particularly respond. "Cause, you know, I talk to them about things I got in common, like where we go to take girls out, who's the better looking guy, and.. umm... " Realizing he was about to dig himself a deeper hole, he tried to change the subject. "Soo.. umm.. how's the newest recruits working out?"

*Fine. Some are hopeless, some are good.*

Breaker nodded frantically. "BeachHead told me there's at least one that doesn't know how to do any fighting at all, said he's useless, and don't understand why he passed Basic." That made him sit up. "I'll bet it's that same guy you couldn't get to punch in the same spot twice in a row." He nodded. "Wow.. what a total waste that guy is, I dunno how you didn't just throw him out the door."

*Hawk handpicked him to join. He must have something to contribute*

Breaker shrugged. "Yeah, but he's useless, I'd pitch him on his ear if I was you."

Snake Eyes looked at him and then signed slowly. *You'd go to Hawk... General Hawk... and tell him HE was wrong?*

The driver was quiet a moment. "Well, now that I think on it, everyone has some redeeming qualities.. even if they are hidden inside them, right?"

The ninja smiled under the mask. *I thought so* He himself wouldn't dream of contradicting the General and commanding officer of the GI Joe team. He'd served under Hawk for a great deal of time, and had a lot of respect for the man. It was well earned respect, and the general was one of the few people in the military that Snake Eyes truly worried about keeping the good opinion of. Oh, he was properly respectful for rank, even when it was an obvious nitwit wearing the bars.. but that was respect for the rank, not respect for the man. *General Hawk is a good man.*

Breaker popped a large piece of gum into his mouth. He'd lasted nearly forty miles before giving in to his chewing gum habit. "I guess so. He's a okay dude for an officer. Better than any I've had, that's for sure." He glanced down at the GPS that his passenger had programed the route into and then at the clock on his dashboard set to base military time. "We got several hours to drive, why don't you rack out in the back seat? Might as well rest up, since you're the go-to guy on this mission."

*You won't get bored.. with no one to talk to?*

Breaker shook his head, and started to respond before he did a double-take. "Was that a joke? Jeez man. You big jerk, get in the back!" He laughed and blew a respectable bubble to pop it and stuff it back into his mouth. "Bored.. funny ninja guy, get some rest, you'll need it." He was still chuckling when Snake Eyes crawled into behind the seats and stretched himself out. Head pillowed on a bag of ammo, he went to sleep as only an experienced soldier could do. He'd learned a long long time ago, get your sleep whenever you had five minutes to spare.

"Snakes... wake up.." The hissed whisper brought the ninja totally awake instantly, his hand went to the gun tucked under his waist. Laying completely still in the dark, he looked to see what his teammate had going on. "Hide somewhere for god's sake.." Picking his head up slightly, Snake Eyes saw flashing blue lights and rolled himself against the seatback, tucking face and hands in, and becoming a formless lump of clothing rather than a hiding person. His internal clock told him it couldn't be later than nine or ten at night. Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw the light shining around the interior of the vehicle. "Hi officer.. was I speeding?" The chipper innocent voice and the inevitable pop of a gum bubble seemed to work to make the cop think this was a routine driver being stopped for speeding.

"License and registration." Breaker handed over the high quality fakes, they would pass the most rigorous inspections, after all, they were made by the same people who made the real ones. "Do you realize you were going nearly seventy in a sixty zone?"

Huddled under his coat, crowded against the back of the seat, a mere two feet from the deputy, Snake Eyes heard the derisive snort that his teammate couldn't stop, but turned into a coughing fit. "Was I?"

The officer elaborated on how dangerous a thing driving a car on the highway was, and the many things that could happen to injure or even (gasp!) kill a inexperienced driver. Breaker dutifully listened, entirely chastened by his terribly reckless actions. The idea was ludicrous when you took into account that last week Breaker had driven a tank through a gauntlet of missiles to take out a Cobra attack chopper.

Eventually the cop wore down and shined the light around again. "Just you in here?"

Breaker nodded nervously. "Yep.. just me.. headed, you know.. on the road." Snake Eyes rolled his eyes. The last thing they needed was to break their cover, having a description of them read on the open airwaves would blow the mission wide open. Now they were sitting at the mercy of a backwoods county cop. "Just driving.. must have not paid attention.. going a little too fast."

The cop seemed interested in looking around the inside of the vehicle but then hummed to himself. "Alright.. I'm gonna run this license. Sit tight."

Listening to the crunch crunch crunch of the shoes pacing off to somewhere behind the hummer, Snake Eyes made a quick decision and scooted himself to the rolled down window and eeled his way out.

Just as he disappeared under the Hummer, he heard Breaker's tense whisper. "Snakes.. dude.. he's gonna search the car.. how am I gonna explain a masked ninja? Dude?" Rolling his eyes at his teammate missing his exit from the vehicle, the darkclad commando wedged himself up into the framework under the heavy vehicle. Once securely hidden, he listened as Breaker tried to convince the cop he was in a innocent sounding hurry, but wanted to cooperate. He couldn't believe he still thought he was inside the vehicle. The slight amount of panic in his teammate's voice was almost amusing if it had not been an extremely serious situation. The side door opened and he heard a bit of rummaging. He was glad he'd stuffed the weapons bags in the inaccessible space under the seats before he'd exited. Tech gear they could easily explain, but AK-47s, Uzis, and enough ammo to take over a smallish country, that was a bit harder. Snake Eyes shifted a little to ease his sword scabbard to the left of his spine. After several minutes, Breaker received a minor ticket and the cop went back to his patrol car. The Hummer sat there, and Snake Eyes tried to mentally urge his teammate to start the vehicle and leave. He couldn't get back in without the cop seeing him. He could ride safely in the undercarriage, he'd done riskier things.

After they sat there, the sheriff came back up to ask if there was some problem, which almost paniced Breaker. "No, no no Sir, everything is fine.. I was.. umm.. resetting the GPS here.. take a minute.. that's all." More time passed, and Breaker was obviously stalling, wondering if his passenger was still in the vehicle, or if he'd somehow exited, and was beside the road.

Finally Snake Eyes gently tapped on the frame in Morse code. ^^ All well go now^^

Breaker cursed under his breath. "Geez... where the heck are you?" With no answer, he cranked up and got back onto the highway, quickly speeding up to what the ninja would guess was exactly fifty-nine miles an hour. He smiled to himself picturing his hapless partner wondering where exactly he was. After nearly half an hour without any headlight in either direction, Snake Eyes decided Breaker wasn't going to stop, so he crawled out, carefully edging his way back up the outside of the Hummer and starting his way back into the window when Breaker caught sight of him and slammed on the brakes.

"Holy CRAPOLA!!" Not even a ninja grip could hang onto the smooth sides, not while he was hanging off the side with only the fingertips of one hand in the window. He went flying onto the road, and rolled several times, before he came to his feet.

Trotting back to the vehicle, he got in and signed to the still cursing Breaker. *Drive.. go, I'm fine* He pointed at the road and the techie shifted gears and headed down the dark highway again.

Breaker sputtered at him. "How the heck.. where were you?? What the heck were you doing climbing on the danged side of the car? Are you nuts? You could have died!"

*I was fine until you slammed on the brakes*

"You're insane! Fallin' off at that speed, you'd have been smeared all over the highway!"

*I wasn't going to fall off*

"You DID fall off!"

*You stopped fast*

"I had some weirdo climbing in the danged window at sixty miles an hour!"

*I was tired of riding under the car*

"Why were you UNDER the car? Where the heck were you, and why didn't you get back in before I drove off? I sat there a long time!"

*I was hiding, he would have seen me if I came out when you were stopped.*

"You have been kicked in the head one too many times, no sane person tries to climb back into a car going that fast, why didn't you stay underneath until I stopped?"

*It was cold, I didn't have my coat*

"Dude you're insane, if you had fallen off, I'd have run you over and you'd be road pizza!"

*I wasn't going to fall off*

"You DID fall off."

*You braked too hard*

"What kind of idiot rides under a Hummer and climbs up the danged side on the highway?"

Snake Eyes looked at him placidly. *I'm a ninja. We do these things.*

Breaker stared at him for a full minute with his mouth open. Then he started to laugh loudly. "You are one screwy ninja, let me tell you what, riding under a Hummer, trying to crawl in while I'm on the highway. When did you get out?"

*When he went back to his car the first time*

Breaker gaped. "How'd you get out? I didn't see you."

*I'm a ninja. I turned invisible and flew up through the roof* Breaker narrowed his gaze. *I climbed out the window*

"Yer a nutcase, a certifiable nutcase. Psyche-Out would put you in a rubber room if he knew you did that junk."

Snake Eyes signed back smugly. *I would escape the rubber room*

Breaker began to laugh again. "How would you do that? They lock the doors, and there's no windows."

The inevitable answer signed back. *I'm a ninja. We do these things.* Breaker started to choke and had to spit his gum out the window. *Watch out, the cop will arrest you for littering*

"Shut up you crazy ninja. Man... you're just nuts, seriously, certifiable, nutcase, bonkers."

*I'm a ninja, we're all insane. It's part of the training.*

Breaker just shook his head, thinking that when they got back, no one would believe him. "You know, you might not talk with your mouth, but you're way more entertaining than the other guys, in a heart-stopping, make-me-die-a-premature-death kind of way."

Snake Eyes looked at him, judging whether to make the obvious comment. *I'm a ninja, we are endlessly entertaining.* Breaker just thumped his head on the steering wheel.

End of Chapter 4.

Sooo... the mission itself will be in the next chapter. Honestly, I've re-read this layout, and I really dislike it myself. Shrug. It's awkward seeming to me, so don't be surprised if I go back to my 'old' way of laying it out.

Now that I've whined about the layout... what did you think? What did you like? What don't you like? What do you think will happen on the mission?(there will be violence in the next chapter during the mission, fair warning).


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

This chapter is higher rated, as T. It contains violence, and thus is not suitable for younger or easily offended readers. If depictions of violence offends you, you should probably stop reading now.

Still reading? Okay then, finally, Snake Eyes and Breaker are ON A MISSION! Yes, no more fooling around, he's gotta steal that circuit from a Cobra research lab. Your reviews warm my black twisted little pump that replaced my heart years ago. Please keep posting reviews, and let me know what you think of any aspect!

Now!! Read the story!

In the Hummer near the target:

"Alright, the place is four blocks over. Looks like a warehouse on the outside, but you saw the inside blueprints. We dunno if those are still accurate or not, but it's the best we could find. The board should be in the Research and Development area, and probably is installed in one of the mainframes. I'll be here.." Breaker pointed at the map at a small cafe'. I'll be sitting at an outside table, and we can be two blocks from the Hummer, and it'll be parked where a Hummer aint' nothing strange, big rich clientele. I'll have the communications open on a secured channel, and be able to keep surveillance on the main road to there too." Snake Eyes finished securing his clips of ammo in the various pockets and nodded at him. "Here's the dummy board, don't get them mixed up, I don't wanna explain THAT to Hawk!" He tucked the board into another pocket. "Hey buddy, you be safe, you know? Get in, get the thing, get out and we'll head for home."

*I'll be fine*

Breaker took a deep breath and slapped Snake Eyes in the chest. "Go get 'em." He picked up his scuffed briefcase and wandered onto the street, headed nominally in the direction of the cafe', but outwardly not in any rush to get there. When he got half a block away, he turned to look, but didn't see the commando anywhere. "I know I know.. he's a ninja.." He muttered to himself arriving at the quaint little eatery and got settled in, reading a newspaper of trash, nibbling at some excellent pastries, and sipped at dark rich coffee.

Snake Eyes had already gotten into position. The shift change was beginning, and he saw a rush of people leaving and arriving at the warehouse. Instead of warehouse workers, he saw white collar office people, and labcoated techs coming and going. Rather than waiting until the wee hours of the night, he was going in midmorning, to coincide with the highest number of workers milling around. The noise and bustle should make it easier for him to slip inside. The roof had guards stationed on it, as did the front and back entrances. The air venting system ran along the sides of the building however, and the ductwork was fairly simple to pry open enough for him to slip into. Crawling through filthy ducts was not the most fun part of his job, but it beat bursting in through the front to sprays of automatic gunfire. He'd been shot quite enough to know he preferred not getting shot. Bravery in the face of danger was all well and good, but discretion was the BEST part of valor in his mind.

Within a quarter of an hour, he was in position in a duct that ran over top of the research room they hoped the circuit was kept in. He settled in and tapped a quick message on a tiny comm unit to Breaker to alert him that he was inside. There would be no replies unless something seriously wrong happened outside. Giving the new shift of workers just enough time to get clocked in, but not enough time to get to work stations, Snake Eyes peeked through a vent to see the lab temporarily deserted. He was counting on the tendency of workers to spend that first twenty minutes or so getting coffee, chatting up other workers, exchanging paperwork, all the unimportant things that normal people start their normal workday off with. It would be his only window of opportunity.

Slipping out of the vent, he dropped onto the floor and padded around the room, careful not to touch anything. Finding the first of the mainframe access panels, he popped it open with a small tool and checked. Nothing looked right, so he replaced the cover and went to the next one. The fourth panel found him the installed circuit board. He cut power to it and pulled the board out, and stuck the fake one in, before replacing the cover and clicking the relay to give it power again. It immediately starting bleeping softly, and the screen filled with gibberish. With any luck, the techs would assume something was wrong with the circuit, not that it had been stolen from under their noses by a skilled ninja. He chided himself. Now was not the time to begin feeling overconfident and full of himself.

Walking up the corner of the wall by bracing his hands and feet against the smooth vertical surfaces, on his way back to the access to the air duct, he froze in place as the door to the lab opened and two techs walked in with coffee and danishes. Hanging in the corner of the brightly lit room, just feet above their heads, he kept himself braced and perfectly still. He felt like a bug about to be pinned to a board, completely exposed, with only the natural tendency of humans to look at eye-level things keeping him from discovery.

"Hey.. what's wrong with this thing?" Both of them bent over the screen still spouting off gibberish. Snake Eyes eased his way slightly higher. One straightened and he froze again. "Did we have a power surge? Here... I'll check the other one.." Now one tech sat bent over at the keyboard, while the other one knelt to peer under the workbench at the plugs.

Now the ninja tried to hurry himself further up the wall in smooth seamless movement, 'don't alert them, just stay down there with the plugs, don't look up, don't see me, I'm not here, I'm a ninja, you can't see me'... his running commentary in his head nattered on uselessly, and he reached the vent and began to slide into it. As he did so, a loose screw wriggled slightly where it dangled from the screwhole in the vent plate. He should have had it in his pocket.. but nooo, he'd been in a rush, and left it in the plate.. just hanging there. He watched the betraying thing wobble back and forth even as he tried to twist himself into position to get in the vent and grab at it at the same time. Stretching his legs into very poor angles, he slid the lower half of his body in soundlessly, and reached to take the screw in his fingers gently, just before it worked it's way free. With it secured from falling, he glanced down, just as the tech turned from under the workbench where he'd been examining the power strip.

"It all looks fine, maybe it was... oh my lord!!" Startled eyes met Snake Eyes and both froze motionless in a useless bid to make that instant not happen. "INTRUDER!!"

Hissing in anger at the situation that he'd almost pulled off, Snake Eyes crawled through the vents as quickly as possible. Within a minute claxons went off, and he had to decide whether to stay in the vents or chance moving into the open areas. The hiss and tang of some sort of gas decided for him, and he kicked the next access panel off and dropped through it, drawing his handgun and his sword as he fell. Landing lightly on his feet, he rolled twice and came smoothly to his feet, holding both weapons ready.

He stared at the platoon of Crimson Guards. They stared at a dirty black dressed ninja who was twice as startled as they were. He wondered if it was too late to chance the gas in the vents.

"GET HIM!!" He fired off the clip of ammo on his way out the door, cutting down anyone who got between him and the way out. Making it to the corridor, he ran down it, dropping the empty clip and slamming a second one in with his sword hand. Awkward to do while running full tilt down a corridor, but that's why he practiced weird things like that. Turning the corner he was presented with a deadend, and mentally cursed. Where was he, and how had he gotten turned around? It should have taken him to the main walkway... which would have led to the entrance.. and not so incidentally, the exit.

Back up the hallway, only to have the Crimson Guardsmen come around the corner finally. He skidded to a stop. "THERE!! GET HIM! TAKE HIM DOWN!!" There was yelling and screaming and he really wished he could join in to the mayhem of noise, but instead settled for firing off several rounds into the mass of red uniforms and ran one guy through the leg with the sword to get him to move out of the way. Scooting through a steel door, he slammed it behind him and tossed the latch to slow the troopers down. Wheeling around, he stared at a huge room full of blue uniforms. Now he really wished he still had a voice to curse with.

"That's the intruder!" Never underestimate the stupidity of a Cobra trooper. He brought the gun and sword up ready to strike or fire and stood waiting, trying desperately to think of a way out. He saw the holy grail of a red lighted Exit sign on the far side of the room full of Cobra troops. Maybe he could brazen his way over to it... if they were confused enough, and no one but him actually had a loaded weapon ready to fire and out pointed at people...

"GET HIM!!" Well so much for that idea. He whirled into action, trying to fire in short controlled bursts of lethality, using his sword more, slashing and giving himself a armspan of space to move in. It was like fighting the ocean, waves of Cobra troops mobbing him. If anyone had a gun other than him, and were smart enough to pull it out and use it, he was dogmeat. Shouts and screams sounded, and he heard the pounding on the door he came through over the general chaos.

He was more than halfway across the room, when he clicked into that space of time and movement, where the body becomes the action before the brain can think it, that bit of training that turns Human into killing whirling dervish, unstoppable and unpredictable, mowing down opponents like grain, dancing among them like a delicate interpretation of Death herself. His brain flooded with endorphins, his body with adrenalin, and time itself slowed to a crawl from his point of view. It was the best high and the worst nightmare he'd ever tripped to. The goal of the exit door was far removed and only the journey to that ultimate destination mattered.. metaphysical images drew themselves on him... only ten feet to go, yin and yang joined together, a perfect match like his weapons and himself... eight feet, he floated between bullets, drifted past blows... five feet, he landed lightly on an outstretched leg and crushed the head in of the man about to fire a round into his left ear... three feet, his gun clicked on empty and he dropped the useless metal, reached to open the doorway... blade clashed on blade.... and reality crushed itself around him in the singular sight revealed by that betrayingly open door.

*StormShadow* His hand made the sign for his former brother's name involuntarily. They stood for a fraction of a second, for a eon and an age, staring into familiar eyes of a stranger they both knew.

"YOU!?!! I'll KILL YOU!" Why was everyone so bent on killing him? Sure, he was a ninja who infiltrated their big secret hidey hole.. but really, so anti-social. He felt a absurd urge to giggle. He couldn't giggle, he needed to get himself out of here. Slash, stab, quickly behind his back to slit the arm open of the trooper there, clash, meet StormShadow's blade to the front. Draw his shorter blade, use it chop the gun from another troopers hand, block the kick from his lost souled brother, shoulder his way past clumsy guard, kick the unwary trooper into his fellow ninja's way, and leap over heads through the exit door to land in the stairwell.... stairwell? Tumble down the stairs in a most un-ninja like fashion. There weren't supposed to be stairs.. wasn't fair at all. Scrambling upright, he drove himself down two more flights, praying that the bottom wasn't going to be the basement or another group of people who wanted to kill him.

No such luck, he stopped just inside the doorway, staring at the crowd, heaving for breath, dripping sweat and blood in equal amounts.

"GET HIM!!" Again.. anti-social group of workers... he raised the blades to cut his way through these as well. "It's a NINJA!! RUN!!" He blinked as they all scattered like quail. About time someone recognized the deadly nature of a actual ninja. He heard the light thump on the stairs behind him and took off, bouncing off a desk to swing himself through the crowded doorway to OUT. He ran with the crowd of paniced techs and office workers, all racing to get out and away from the death traveling unseen in the herd. He blew past the door guards who were pushing their way through, trying to corral an unknown intruder. Hitting the front gate, he scrambled over it, ignoring the razor wire slicing at him for more speed, he was nearly free. One sleeve snagged on the top, and he tore free, and dropped to the sidewalk to take off running for the shadows as the first shots whined past him. If the Cobra's pet ninja spotted him, he'd be doomed. Two blocks west, turn and dodge, up into a empty building, race through to the south. He needed to orient himself and make it to Breaker, had to get the chip to him. Mission first. He could feel his body starting to protest finally. Then he saw the Crimson Guard unit flowing into the street behind him, and ducked into a side alley. Up ahead he could see the flower shop that was only a few doors from the cafe'. He looked back as the first red helmet came into view, and he took off running. Turning the corner, his stride lengthened and he hit full speed, racing down past the cafe of startled patrons. No one saw the tiny square fly loose from his hand to land in Breaker's stunned lap. Everyone saw the ninja fly by racing to escape the half battalion of red clothed guardsmen. Once divested of any need to stay within an area, he prayed Breaker would know to blend in and leave as soon as possible without waiting. Racing along the street, he led them away from his teammate and the stolen tech.

About the time his lungs began to protest, he turned a corner and grabbed the lintel of a door, swinging himself up and into the second story window. No one inside the room, he crouched for a few seconds, typing furiously and hitting send. Breaker would receive a scrambled one word message of "go". Then Snake Eyes was off and running again. He moved building to building, and four blocks away, he slipped into the ninja mode of invisible movements, blending himself into shadows and walls, crevices that couldn't hide a rat held a desperate ninja. He continued to move in an erratic pattern away from the installation, determined to escape now.

* * * *

End Chap 5 Well, there was some action! Our favorite ninja in action.. both as a fighter and as a real sneaky ninja! What did you think of it? Was the violence too graphic, or no? Having attempted the 'new style', in the currant writing, I think I've found a middle ground I like that pretty much uses the new way also. But converting what I have written to the newer style results in awkwardness, so I don't know how well it will go. We'll have to see!! The story is at 29,000 words, so there's more to come. Readers liked, reviewers adored!


	6. Chapter 6

Chap 6:

So he's gotten the circuit, he's passed it to his teammate, now to escape and get back to base. Short chapter, and a sudden surprising turn of events...

Thank you for continuing to read, and please review!

* * * *

Hours later, it was finally dark, and he'd moved to the edge of the city. His distance slowed, and he moved only in the most stealthy moments. Now it was not speed, but the ability to remain undetected. He heard helicopters overhead often, and vehicles full of troops raced around the streets, sometimes racing by him missing him by only a few feet, but never spotting him. Skulking... such an ugly word for a delicate ability. He'd passed exhaustion long ago. Exhaustion was easy to ignore, death much less so. But he was a ninja, and ninjas did these things. He grinned widely under the black mask concealing scars from a unwary populace. Definitely exhaustion. He slipped out of the city and into the friendly night. Now he'd just have to work his way to somewhere he could get easy transport back to the base. Piece of cake.

Three days from the time he'd walked away from the Hummer, he was crouched in the boll of a huge tree, looking over a military airstrip. His exhaustion was making thinking difficult, and he gazed at a series of cargo planes. He was fairly certain that some of those planes would be flying in to at least near the Pit. The problem was that he had no ID, no uniform, no papers, and was a member of a secret group that didn't tout it's existence even to other branches of the military, so other than his battered dog tags, he had no way to prove who he was and that he had a right to military transport. Add in the fact that he was fairly battered up himself, cuts, bruises, torn up clothing, and he didn't think much of his chances of wandering up to the gate and handing over a note asking for a lift to the Pit, and could they make it a rush because last time he was late, the general yelled at him? Yep.. not gonna work out well on his end. Well, he could fly out without asking he supposed.

Two hours later, he crouched behind the fuel drums, looking at the clipboard of plane schedules. One quick reach and he snagged it while the tarmac supervisor was busy yelling about the cargo loading taking too long. Flipping through the sheets of flights with attached cargo manifests, he found a flight headed directly to the Pit airstrip. Of course, it wasn't the "Pit" but the nearby airstrip officially. Close enough, even if he had to walk to the base from the plane's landing it would beat walking across a couple states. He wiped his cheek through the mask and slid the clipboard back into place without being detected.

Another couple of hours saw him nestling down into a heap of unused cargo tarps in the back recesses of the right plane. The crew were not only lax on security, but lax on tidying the inside of the plane. Any Joe plane would have had the tarps folded and stowed, which would have made it nearly impossible for him to hide so easily in nearly full view. At least the cargo was lashed into place properly. He made himself comfortable and tried not to fall asleep yet. Relaxing his sore body, Snake Eyes listened to the engines revving and the crew shouting back and forth. His various cuts had begun to heal, after he had carefully cleaned each one with water, checking to see that he wasn't leaving a blood trail early on in his flight and pursuit through the city. Stormshadow had left him with another few mementos of their fight yet again. All shallow, but annoying nonetheless. His head pounded dully, his body demanded sleep and he denied it. Resting by laying still in the heap of dusty tarps was the best he'd get until he was back home on base.

The plane was landing and he scooted around to peer out, locating the crew before he climbed the wall, scrunching himself up next to some of the junk on the ceiling to avoid detection. He reminded his tired brain that he was a ninja, and that's what ninjas did, avoid detection. His arms shook a bit as he braced himself for touchdown. It seemed to take forever for the cargo crew to remove the crates and boxes. It wasn't until the engines were shut down and the voices drifted away that he lowered himself the floor and slipped out onto the runway. They were very near a storage hanger, and he snuck inside, looking for familiar faces. When he spotted Clutch and RockNRoll, he puffed a sigh of relief and walked up to them. He hadn't realized how strung out he was until the relief flooded him at the sight of teammates he could trust.

"JEEZ!!! Snake Eyes!! Where did you come from?? What the heck happened to you? Are you okay, need a medic?" He shook his head and motioned towards the lift. "Aww no, there's some officer here for you, he's been pacing a furrow in the floors.." As if on cue a stiff voice sounded from behind them. The ninja turned to look tiredly at the khaki-clad Lieutenant Colonel.

"Sergeant Snake Eyes?" He nodded warily. "You're to come with me, orders from the top." He looked at the file offered to him. "You're to accompany me immediately." Snake Eyes looked towards the hydraulic lift that would take him to his commanding officer, to hot showers, hot food, his bunk. Then he gazed at the file in his hand and flipped it open. "We need to leave immediately, right now. Do you understand me at all?" Still perusing the orders in the file, Snake Eyes nodded. "You'll answer me when I ask you a question!" Suddenly snapping to attention, the commando snapped a salute at him, holding position. "Are you trying to be flippant with me soldier?!"

RockNRoll cleared his throat. "Snake Eyes is mute. He can't answer you verbally."

A look of distaste crossed the officer's face, and he raised his voice slightly, speaking slower. "You are to come with me.. do you understand?" A sharp nod, although the ninja twitched slightly at the condescending tone.

Clutch snorted and crossed his arms. "He's mute, not deaf, and not stupid." Snake Eyes was glad of his mask, as controlling the smile at the insolent rebuke was impossible in his exhausted state. The Lieutenant scowled. "Where are you gonna be taking our favorite ninja anyway?"

The scowl deepened at the insolent tone. "That's none of your concern, the orders come from the highest authority, and we.. are leaving."

Snake Eyes waited until he turned to leave, and slipped his notepad to Clutch, signing quickly. *Give this to Hawk, I have to go* The two mechanics made faces and RockNRoll grabbed a baggie of dried fruit from a nearby toolbox and shoved it into his hand.

"Here.. it ain't a meal, but you look hungry." He nodded and signed his thanks, grabbing up the ragged bag and trotting after the strange officer who had come to take him off to a different base. Wondering what was up, he stuffed the fruit into a leg pocket, and boarded a small jet to be pointed at a seat to one side. He tried signing at the officer, but was ignored, so he pulled a pad of paper out and wrote a note instead.

^Can I ask what this is about, sir?^

He saw the same disgusted look and the paper was wadded up and tossed aside. "You've been transferred. Apparently Hawk got sick and tired of having to deal with you finally. General Forsyth has generously agreed to take you on, as a favor for Hawk." Stunned, Snake Eyes whirled to look through the window at the disappearing base he considered home. When he turned back, desperate for more answers, the disagreeable officer had gotten up and walked up to the pilot, leaving the commando to sit by himself. Transferred.... away? Permanently? Hawk hadn't seemed upset when he gave him this mission.. he'd done the mission... had Breaker not made it back? He hadn't considered such a possibility, trusting the smaller devious man to easily leave the area and get back to the Pit. Who was this Forsyth? And what would his new position be? What about Scarlett? What about his apprentices? Where would he be based... his head whirled, and the state of exhaustion doubled his confusion. What was to become of him now?

End Chapter 6: Oh my gosh! What's going on? Hawk sick and tired of the ninja shenanigans? Snake Eyes not a Joe any longer? What will happen next?

As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you are enjoying it still.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Snake Eyes transferred?? What's going on! He gets more of an explanation, and we see how he does in a non-Joe unit. Very short chapter, but more coming quickly. Sorry for the cliffie, but I gotta stop it somewhere!

A special 'thank you' goes out to "Rutga" and "Comix28" for their constructive criticism. Despite my really disliking the modified format, when I write using the base idea of the newer style, I like it better. When I modify written stuff, it comes off as stilted, but writing it originally taking the advice, it flows better. Thank them for helping me write better, which should be a goal of all writers!

Readers allowed, but reviewers adored! As always, thank you for reading!

* * * *

General Forsyth's office:

"I know this must not be much of a shock to you." The still stunned commando was waved to a seat in front of a ornate desk. "I'm General Forsyth, and I'll be your new commanding officer. You've already met Lieutenant Gance. He'll be your top, if you have any problems you can take them to him."

Snake Eyes signed hesitantly, wondering if it would do any good. The snide voice sounded up from behind him.

"He's a mute Sir, I guess he'll have to write a lot of notes.. that's gonna be a pain."

The General gave a mild glare at that, but to the officer, not to the ninja. Then he signed clumsily but clearly. *I can sign a little*

Snake Eyes signed back quickly. *What did I do? Why am I transferred, can I talk to General Hawk, was there a mistake*

Forsyth waved at him. "Slow it down soldier. I can't follow that fast. I can guess though what you want to know. You have to realize that your... hmm.. your record of irregular behavior and multiple cases of going AWOL, your... ahem... independent nature let's say.. has been a bit of a thorn to your commanding officer." Snake Eyes knew nothing of the sort.. yes he'd had a few things.. but nothing that sounded so bad. "He's been under a bit of extra stress lately, with some of the highest generals riding him about the people considered troublemakers.. and you are one of the ones singled out. Now.. he'd been trying his best, but there's a limit to every man's patience you know." The stout General stood and clasped his hands behind his back. "I agreed to take you on, and if... if, mind you, if you can manage to keep a clean record, no black marks, for a while... perhaps I could convince him to give you a second shot at the Joe program. But.. I'm taking on a risk, because you can imagine that most people would have simply drummed you out of the service and been done with it. So I'm counting on you to do well here."

It was one blow after another to the commando. He lifted his hands but couldn't think of what to ask. Finally he signed simply. *How long*

That got him a deep mournful sigh from the sympathetic officer. "Oh... well.. I imagine six months to size you up, get some good clean records on proper behavior, send you on a few by-the-book missions that go straight and narrow.. maybe then we can get a good evaluation. Maybe that will get Hawk to at least consider a possibility of a return.. but I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. He was... peeved, let's use the term peeved." Crushed, Snake Eyes sat without responding. "So I'll let you go get settled in, I'm sure that Lt Gance will help you get settled in. I'll meet with you in one week to see if you're ready for an assignment.

Standing automatically to salute, Snake Eyes followed the scowling officer who led him out of the admin section and to the barracks. He was assigned a bunk in a room of ten, given a footlocker of greens, and had the general area outlined.

Lt Gance scowled at him, obviously certain he'd been saddled unfairly with the troublemaker. "Stay out of trouble, and report at 0500 with everyone else. And.. take off that mask, we're not going to have compromised security." Snake Eyes stood still, shocked. When Gance reached up and snatched it off, he jerked back too late. "Holy crap.. no wonder you cover that wreck up." He had the mask tossed back and caught it automatically. "Wear it until you get a balaclava instead. That'll cover up most of that mess."

Slipping his regular mask back over his head, Snake Eyes gathered up a set of fatigues, and headed for the showers, getting cleaned up and stopping to get a head covering as ordered. Looking in the mirror, he tugged the edges of the ski mask up to cover as much as possible. Nearly his only insecurity was his scarring, he'd never thought of it as a security risk to cover his face. Most of the Joes would never mention it, and even newbies had caught hell if they tried to make snappy insults about it. The regular fatigues felt odd and shabby. He kept only his boots and dog tags. The rest went into the bin. Between the sliced cloth and the bloodstains and dirt, they wouldn't have been salvageable anyway. He held his regular mask for a moment before stowing it in the footlocker. His swords and sidearm were carried around until he located the armory. The private in charge of it gave him hell, even after he wrote out a note explaining that he was newly assigned and would clean the weapons himself. Grudgingly given supplies, he settled in a corner and worked to quickly clean and check the swords, rubbing gun oil generously over the shining blades. Setting them aside, he disassembled the handgun, scrubbing dirt and grime out of the various bits.

"What is that?!" Before the grunt could grab it, Snake Eyes scooped up his sword, placing it to the side. "Hey!! I'm the armorer today, you give that to me!" He shook his head. That served to make the Private more angry and he pushed past to grab it anyway. Annoyed at the rudeness, Snake Eyes plucked it back out of his hand, and pointed a finger at him. The hard blue eyes surrounded by scar tissue served to make the young guy back off. Muttering under his breath, he returned to his chair at the front counter.

Snake Eyes settled back in, finishing the cleaning and placing the gun into the proper place and tagging it as done. He signed the clipboard as he left, and carried the blades back to his bunk, tucking both under his mattress for safe keeping. Then it was checking his throwing stars, wiping them clean, and sharpening the edges where needed. He wondered if he'd be able to requisition more when he ran out, then wondered if he'd even get to use any. The shurikens were one of his favorite throwing weapons.. but what would they even have him doing? Finishing the cleaning, he stowed those away as well and decided since he wasn't due anywhere officially until the next morning, he stretched out in the bunk and sighed, attempting to sleep. He dared not think about Scarlett... the idea that he'd be separated from her for good was too much for him to contemplate. What about his apprentices? Were they also ashamed of him? His exhaustion caught up with him finally, and he slept.

End Chapter 7

Well... Life sort of sucks for our erstwhile ninja. Will it get better as he settles in and meets his new teammates? What do you think? Like, dislike, want? I'll try to have the next chapter up soon, but I'm told I'm spoiling my readers! Ha ha! Do you think I'm spoiling you? Or are you tired of this storyline already?

Remember I write for myself, so I won't beg for reviews, but I do love them anyway! They are sprinkles on ice cream! Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Chap 7.5

Yes, it's a half number! Sorry, but I honestly did not think about writing what the other Joes would be thinking at this point! I did write about a tiny bit of it later.. but it was a blurb. So.. what is the story at the Pit? Does anyone miss Snake Eyes? Let's see.

As always, thank you to you guys for reading! Reviews make me happy, especially on this chapter, since I wrote it in a few hours at the suggestion of a reader! Thanks Darth Sanctus for pointing that out!

Now, the story continues....

* * * *

Back at the Pit:

Ripcord straggled into the rec room and flopped over onto the couch. "Scarlett is really on a tear. You guys better watch out." Groans sounded from several Joes slated for hand-to-hand training. "Since she's had to take over the head instructor position, she's been a terror on the mats."

Stalker snatched up his Joe cola and scowled at the brash young man. "Maybe she's just missing someone. You could be a little more understanding." He stomped out, leaving a quieted room behind him.

BeachHead grunted from the end of the room where he was doing bicep curls with a set of weights. "None a' us are happy about Snakes transferrin' out. 'specially without him even saying good-bye to no one." There was a murmur of agreement in the room.

"Dere ain't no nevermin' 'bout Snakes taking off to us, compare to how it be feelin' ta Scarlett." Gung Ho's heavy accent betrayed his emotions over it.

Several of the people in the room agreed with him, voicing their own displeasure and sympathy for the redheaded intel left behind.

Ripcord straightened up and tried to act uncaring. "Well, she still has me, don't see why she'd be all upset." He ducked several flung objects. "What?? Come on.. I was joking!" He scuttled out of the room before anyone got a chance to thump him. He'd had enough of a pounding already. "Geez, you guys got no sense of humor!"

* * * *

The messhall was busy, with Joes crowding in and grabbing trays. Roadblock was cooking and that meant no one missed dinner. Even if it was slightly more subdued than normal, there was some good natured jostling in the lines. Gung Ho got his laden tray and settled at a table with some of the others. "This here's some good vittles."

Stalker and Heavy Duty agreed and Clutch grinned. "Yeah.. wild rice and chicken casserole? Dude.. some old fashioned good food! Why doesn't he make it more often?" He dug in and missed Stalker slowing down in his eating.

The older NCO looked at his plate and stirred the rice before taking another bite. "He usually only makes it when Snakes has had a hairy mission. It's his favorite." The table got quieter.

Heavy Duty tapped his fork on the tabletop. "That jus' don't make no sense! Why would Snakes transfer out without even tellin' any of us! He didn't say nothin' to you beforehand, did he Stalker?" A headshake was his only reply. "I can't think of anything that's happened to make him mad enough to take off, and he didn't even talk to Scarlett that I know of."

Stalker glanced over to where the redhead was standing in line, looking tired and wan. She'd managed to take over both their missing commando's trainees, and kept up her own duties. The most she would concede was to let Jinx take the basics class and Kamakura took over instructing the trainees in the kata exercises. She even checked up on them constantly, and refused any offers of new personnel being brought in.

"He didn't say anything.. all she got was a note he slipped under her door when he left for that mission with Breaker. It was pretty vague, and she figured it was just a typical Snakes note, that he'd be back like always. Once Snakes didn't show up, and she found out he'd asked for a transfer, and even went over Hawk's head to put the request through, that short note took on a bit more meaning." He watched her get up to the cafeteria line and saw her suddenly put down the tray and leave without eating. "I hope she'll be okay." He turned back to his food, pushing it around more than he ate. He didn't notice Roadblock when the burly man left with a couple small packages.

* * * *

Scarlett sat at one of the extra desks at the front of the Pit. The reception area was nearly deserted and it seemed the perfect place for her to be alone. She took a deeper breath. She was so alone now. Her friends were trying to surround her all the time, but it wasn't going to make up for the absence of the man she loved. Sure, he'd been gone on longer missions, been out of touch for a month at a time, but she'd always know that he would be back. Now.. the uncertainty of why he would take off, knowing that he was reassigned, to somewhere she wasn't, it wore at her constantly. She had caught herself giving Ripcord a solid beating out of frustration today. That was something she would never forgive in an instructor.

Now that she really needed a meal, she had gone in and seen Snake's favorite, and just couldn't stomach eating it without him. Rather than try to choke down the casserole, she just left. There was no way she'd let all those people see her break down and cry like a jilted lover or some moon-eyed teenaged girl. She tried to take a deep breath and felt it catch in her throat. She swallowed and tried to get herself under control.

The deep voice from behind her startled her and she jumped. Roadblock stood there, holding out a wax paper wrapped bundle. "Hey Scarlett. I brought you a sandwich. I saw you didn't feel like eating."

She smiled and took the package. "Thanks. It's not that I don't know it would be the best.. but.. " She trailed off and looked into her lap at the roast beef sandwich laden with extra tomatoes, just the way she liked it, and he'd even put a ton of extra black pepper on it. She felt the big hand reach over and squeeze her shoulder and looked at the solemn face as he sat beside her. He unwrapped his own sandwich, albeit without all the extra pepper. She gave him a questioning look.

He ducked his head and shrugged. "You know.. I cooked it, but I just can't eat it either without him here to enjoy it with us. So.. I thought if it was okay with you, I'd just come have a sandwich too." She reached her arms as far around him as she could.

"You can come eat with me anytime. Thanks." He pretended to not see her wiping tears off her face.

* * * *

Duke paced through Hawk's office. "Sir, I'm telling you, I had no idea he wanted to leave. I haven't heard of any incidents or issues that would make him want to leave. Snake Eyes has always done things without any reasons.. at times. I don't know why he would leave."

Hawk steepled his fingers, elbows resting on his desk. "I would never believe that Snake Eyes of everyone here, would go over my head and request a transfer. I've known the man longer than you have, and it just doesn't make sense to me. I know he's taken off before without giving any reason.. but he's never even hinted that he wanted out of the Joe program. Not ever. He's taken leave.. but damn, he's accumulated enough leave time to stay gone a year if we could spare him that long."

Duke held up his hands helplessly. "Sir, I don't know what to tell you. I've discreetly asked around, and no one seems to have noticed anything out of the ordinary. But then, as several pointed out, what is 'ordinary' for Snake Eyes? I mean.. no one saw anything out of place in particular, but most of us aren't privy to his thoughts. That would be Sca.... ahhh... maybe Stalker's place really." He looked away, trying to ignore his near slip.

Hawk slapped a hand onto his desk. "Oh don't tiptoe around it Duke! I'm not blind. I know Scarlett was attached to him, and I also know they were always the most discreet couple ever. I couldn't acknowledge that the relationship was happening, but I knew what was going on. You'd have to be dumb as a box of rocks to not see it."

His Top rubbed his hands on his pants a little. "Yes sir.. at any rate, from everything she's said, and the way she's acting, I would say that he didn't mention anything to her either. Jinx and Kamakura both say they had no clue, but they also both blame themselves for being terrible apprentices and making him want to leave. I tried to reassure them, but you know how young people are."

The general nodded wearily. "I do remember that far back..." He sighed and flipped the file laying open in front of him open. "We need to go over this mission. Do we want to even bother trying to send in a small team?"

* * * *

Another week later:

Motorpool, Scarlett and Duke:

Scarlett had gotten more and more convinced that something was terribly wrong. The more she thought about it, the less likely the scenario seemed. "I really don't care if they said he ASKED to be transferred! I know Snake Eyes didn't do that!" Scarlett's temper was rising. Duke waved a hand at her.

"You might think that, but the orders stated he requested a transfer, and it was granted. What more do you want from me?" The redhead flung the box she held down.

"I want you to find out the truth! You know that he would never leave the Joe team, and he wouldn't leave m... wouldn't leave us! Not without telling us!" The stocky blond First Sergeant pressed his lips together and counted to ten.

"Look Scarlett. I appreciate that you miss your boyfriend. But I'm real sorry if he chose to not break up with you in person." He figured it was a mistake to say it when she threw the wrench at his head. "Hey!! I'm not to guy who dumped on you!" He ducked a second wrench.

"He did NOT! LEAVE! ME!" Her voice rose. "You're being a bull-headed idiot! You don't know him like I do!! Ask Stalker!! He thinks the same as I do! Snake Eyes belongs HERE!" She stormed off, and Duke sighed. He'd never understand women. Yes, it was odd for the commando to suddenly decide to quit the team he'd been with so long. Who knew what went through the man's head though? Perhaps it was simply things building up on him, until he made a poor decision. Of course, if he wanted to break up with Scarlett, the safest way would be to leave without telling her. If he wanted to avoid wrench induced injuries that is.

* * * *

Washington offices:

"I do not see that it's unreasonable at all." General Hawk was trying to keep an even tone with his fellow general. "I have a man from my command who was suddenly transferred, without explanation. I think that contacting him to hash it out is a completely reasonable thing to do."

General Forsyth shook his head sadly. "Well, even NCOs in the army have a few rights, Hawk. If the man doesn't want to talk to you.. umm.. so to speak.. then I guess we'd best honor his simple request."

Hawk smacked the table with his fist. "This man has been with me from the beginning, and you know it. Something has to be behind this, and I want to talk to him immediately."

He watched a smug smile form. "Even if I did want to force him to talk to his former commanding officer.. which I do not.. he's out on a mission. Incommunicado. Once he returns, I'll of course forward your request for a meeting. But you know, he does seem to be fitting in quite well. I doubt even with your extensive powers of persuasion you'd be able to convince him to rejoin your unit."

Hawk gritted his teeth. "Just tell me when he'll be back."

Forsyth shrugged. "Can't do it, it's a 'need to know' mission."

The irate commander watched him walk out of the room, and seethed. He wanted to know what had set the ninja off badly enough for him to request an immediate transfer, and do it out of office, over Hawk's head. Having one of his best men up and disappear, and getting nothing but a scribbled set of notes from the last mission, and a file of transfer, it was intolerable and inexcusable. He knew Snake Eyes had a tendency to go haring off on things, sometimes bordering on going AWOL, but he'd never hinted that he wanted out of the Joe unit. He strode down the corridors, heading back to his transport.

The last mission had been a success, with Breaker arriving back at base with a tale to tell and the circuit. They'd all anticipated the commando following up within a day or so, and became worried when time went by with no word. Hawk had even sent a secondary team back to the area undercover to nose about and see if they could hear anything about a prisoner being taken. There'd been no word of such, and then he'd gotten a report from the motorpool that Snake Eyes had returned, but left without checking in, with a Lieutenant from another unit. It was highly irregular. What had gone so wrong to make him leave without even saying good bye or gathering his own personal equipment? It stank, and the typed up transfer request stank worse. General Hawk vowed to get to the bottom of the mystery, even if it involved him hunting down the ninja himself.

End Chap 7.5

So... the Joes are missing their favorite oddball ninja. Is something starting to stink? *ponders thoughtfully*

Review if you'd like to share your thoughts on what's going on. All reviews are treasured like rare gems to be caressed and hidden away in music boxes to be gazed at with wonder and astonishment. Okay, okay! I read them and I like them! I'll put the melodrama away now!

As always!! Thank YOU for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8:

Two weeks, and the normally balanced and stable sergeant was on the edge of breakdown. He'd withstood hours of torture at the hands of Cobra, gone through the hardest training possible in the ninja clan that had taught him.. and the social pressure of living at this new base, being subjected to constant harassment that he could not respond to, it was breaking him down as nothing in life had ever done. The first time he'd been taunted and called out had ended in a quick takedown, which brought the wrath of Lt Gance down on Snake Eyes rather than the perpetrator. The officers always came down hard on anything he did, criticizing his work, and finally banning him from the sparring mats. He was reduced to working out in the small gym after hours to avoid most of the other soldiers.

"Eyes..." The mocking shortening of his name was the latest humor from his Lieutenant. He stood and straightened to attention. "Looks like the General is finally gonna trust you to go on a mission." His interest perked. So far he'd managed to get assigned the most loathed duty, running the armory. He was careful not to show how pleased he was with that particular duty. A mission would be a relief. He followed after the officer to a small room with half a dozen others already waiting.

"This is a simple mission.. even Eyes here shouldn't be able to screw it up. Markus, keep an eye on him anyway." The tall black man narrowed his eyes at the commando, conveying what sort of displeasure he would show if Snake Eyes didn't preform up to par. "This is a in-and-out, keep out of sight, hit the target, and get out fast. Your target.." He clicked a handheld control and a middle aged mediocre man's face appeared on the wallscreen. "This is Dean Thunstrom. Eyes here is the supposed commando, so it's up to him to neutralize him... permanently."

Snake Eyes blinked and signed. *Kill him?*

Gance looked over at the slender Nickols. "What's he waving about?"

Nickols glanced over nervously. "He wants to know if he's supposed to kill him."

A derisive snort. "Yes, since you need it spelled out in small words." He leaned towards the ninja. "Go in unseen, and kill the bastard. Then come back here, without getting caught. Is that simple enough, dummy?" Gritting his teeth, Snake Eyes limited his response to a nod. "Good. The rest of the team is responsible for getting you there, and extraction afterwards. And there's going to be no communications with anyone outside the team at ANY point, do you understand that too?!?" Another firm nod. He hadn't been allowed any outside contact, nor had he received anything like an explanation from his former team. He was determined to not screw anything up, despite the incompetence shown by half the troops here, and the shocking lack of knowledge on the part of Gance. He'd rarely been asked to preform an assassination, much less on U.S. soil. He'd never had such a distasteful mission handed over in such a matter-of-fact manner.

"Markus will run this mission. He's in charge." The hard gaze fastened on Snake Eyes. "Understood?" A curt nod answered. The rest of the details followed quickly, and they were dismissed. The group went to gather the arms and equipment for the mission. Snake Eyes was jostled by a couple of the men, getting glares, which he ignored. He took the time to disassemble and oil the sniper rifle, double checking the scope as he did so. He spent the afternoon sighting it in at the gun range.

* * * *

"Alright Mr Hot Stuff, get your butt out there and take that bastard down. You got ten minutes from the shot fired to get back in the van. Got it?" Snake Eyes hefted the rifle, slinging it across his back and nodded. At least they'd given him a camouflage suit, not that he absolutely needed it, but it made for easier hiding. The van door was slid open, and he looked out at the thickly treed park they were hiding in. "You don't talk to no one, and you come straight back here. Or I'll make you wish you were never born." Snake Eyes looked him in the eye from only a foot away, his unflinching cold stare made Markus swallow. "Just go do it." He pushed him out, and watched the commando land lightly on the balls of his feet and disappear noiselessly without seeming to move. "Freak." He closed the door and motioned at the others. "Don't know why I told him not to talk to anyone, he's already a dummy, what's he gonna do? Wave his hands at some random street person?" Short low laughter sounded and he sat down to watch the monitor. Surveillance cameras were trained on the small office building, allowing them to see anyone who came in or out. "Josh, check for the freak, I wanna see when he's on point ready to fire."

The burly tech nodded. Josh waved at his array of small screens. "I'm on it. I gotta full range of camera angles, if he's out there, I'll spot him."

"You do that." They all waited, checking and rechecking cameras, trying to see when the silent commando moved into position.

* * * *

Snake Eyes shifted himself ever so slightly, gazing down the scope at the office building. He checked through each window in turn, moving only with the leaves of the huge tree he was perched in. He knew he was as close to invisible as was possible, being spotted by a random guard or civilian was not a concern. What was a concern was his teammates below. He glanced down through the branches and snorted. He could see a bit of the white roof of the van, they'd done a poor job of concealing it. Snake Eyes hooked one ankle around a branch, and stood off to the side of the tree trunk, easing himself into the position with slow swaying movements so as to not be spotted. Staying concealed was second nature to him, and doing so in the top branches of a tree was no hardship.

Another check of the windows didn't reveal the target, and he looked downward again at the patch of white van. He would have to be fast to get back to it once he fired the rifle. The ninja was under no illusions that the team would wait the full ten minutes for him. Nichols wasn't that bad, he at least understood ASL, and would translate for him on occasion. Nichols was a Private, and thus had no say in anything.

He lifted the rifle again, checking the windows and noting that the front entrance was getting busy. Watching carefully through the scope, he didn't see the target. Suddenly, a side door opened and a slender man in a shirt and tie stepped out and lit a cigarette. Checking carefully as he turned his face towards the trees, Snake Eyes realized it was his target. Cowardly despicable deplorable act.. he aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger just a little. This was the worst part of his job, he'd joined the army to defeat the enemy.. not to shoot down people from hiding... he had orders... he took one deep breath and tightened his finger carefully, squeezing off one perfect shot. He saw the man crumple to the ground, and watched the people at the front entrance look around a little, then go back to their petty lives. No one even noticed that a life had been snuffed out by a tiny bit of high speed lead.

Snake Eyes dropped through the tree quickly, barely grabbing onto each limb before reaching for the next, moving silently and swiftly to drop to where he could leap over to the next tree. Within a minute, he dropped lightly onto the roof of the van. He reached to grab the camouflage netting, and scooped it backwards off the vehicle before the two soldiers had fully exited to begin removing it.

"HOLY.. jeez!! It's Snake Eyes.. " Nichols reached to grab the bundle of leafy netting and shoved it into the back of the van. "Get in.." Markus made a sour face as the ninja swung over the edge of the roof into the van, landing lightly and crouching on top of the bundle of netting, already beginning to disassemble the rifle. The various parts were tucked into predetermined spots in the van. His camouflage top was stripped off and shoved into a crevice beside the wheel well while Nichols stuffed the netting into a sleeping bag and rolled it up. When the younger man turned he gasped, startling Snake Eyes into turning.

Swallowing, he asked. "What.... what happened to you?" Glancing down at his torso, the commando shrugged. "I've never seen so many scars on one person.."

Josh laughed loudly from the driver's seat. "Then it matches his face!" Laughter rang out from the others, although Nichols did not join in.

A black teeshirt quickly covered up the marred skin, and the outer netting pants were peeled off of the olive drab to be concealed as well. In theory, now no one would connect the men in the van to a ghillie suited sniper.

"Did it go alright?" He ignored that query totally. Markus swiveled the passenger seat around, having double-checked their escape route with Josh who was driving. "Did you take down the target?" Snake Eyes nodded. "You're certain it was the correct man?" Another nod. "Were you spotted?" He shook his head, seating himself crosslegged in a corner. "Are you sure you weren't spotted? I don't want pursuit because someone saw you."

Snake Eyes signed carefully. *No one saw me, I was invisible. I'm experienced. I shot your guy down, he's dead, no one knows he is dead yet, no one saw me.* He turned slightly away. Nichols translated and Markus snorted.

"No one is invisible."

Resting his head against the side of the van, Snake Eyes closed his eyes. He signed to the Lieutenant. *I'm a ninja, we do these things*

Nichols coughed slightly. Markus looked at the Private. "What'd he say?"

"He said he's a ninja." The van was very quiet for a moment. No one spoke until Markus snorted loudly.

A derisive tone colored his voice. "You're a shooter. I'd stretch to say you're a commando. There's no such thing as ninjas."

Hard blue eyes snapped open to look at him. *I am a ninja. I belong to the Arashikage Clan.*

Nichols looked at him for a moment. "He says.. he's a ninja and belongs to something that I can't translate. I think it's a family name." Snake Eyes glared. "I don't know what you're saying." He repeated the sign and Nichols shrugged. "I guess that's the name of his family or something."

Markus snorted. "He's just mental. I knew he was a freak." He turned back around, leaving the fuming commando to sit.

Nichols hesitated but sat down a little ways away from him. "It's okay. I'm sure you just need some rest. At least the mission went good."

The intense stare turned on him for a second. *Killing is never good, you are young, killing makes you die inside, don't forget it*

Not quite understanding, Nichols nodded anyway. "Yeah. Yeah, well.. " He trailed off. "The mission was to neutralize the guy.."

Snake Eyes interrupted. *The mission was for me to murder some man I didn't know, who never knew I was there, he was alive and had a life and a job and now he is meat lying on the ground*

The younger man took a deeper breath. "Yeah.. but.. it was the mission. That's what you do, you kill people." The death-dealing ninja looked at his hands, thinking of how many lives he had taken over the years. He was nothing more than a cheaply hired killer to these people. "It's okay, you're good at it."

The well-meant words served to cut him deeply. He pulled his knees up and folded his arms on them, lowering his head down onto them. He closed his eyes again, but all he saw was the figure crumpling to the ground like a broken puppet. No matter if the orders came from the General himself, it was his finger pulling the trigger, and his burden to bear. It was a long ride back to base.

* * * *


	10. Chapter 10

Chap 9

Now that we know what his 'teammates' think of him, how does Snake Eyes deal with all of it? He's shown no respect, even for his abilities, no allowances for his disability, and isn't allowed to fight back in any way, so he's muzzled(so to speak). How would it feel to go from a respected member of a elite team, to helplessly bullied, because you follow your orders properly? I hope I've shown that in the story so far.

I know the numbers are now off, with calling it chapter 8, while I called it chapter 7.5, but I don't feel like going all back and changing it, so...

Thank you guys so much for continuing to read, and the reviews are tremendous! I don't mind spoiling you! I tend to write fast, up to a few thousand words per night, unless something is going on with the pets. Thank you to my faithful and ever-so-helpful beta reader! You know who you are!

And.. here's the story!

Chapter 9

Snake Eyes sighed and signed the bottom of the last form needed for the full weapons inspection of the armory. So far, he'd been sent on three missions, and each time it was nothing more than an assassination. Long range rifle shots twice and one more up close and personal. The rest of the unit avoided him mostly, muttering about cold-hearted assassins, and snipers who'd shoot people in the back. Only a couple would speak to him, other than taunts or insults. His life was a misery, being jostled or shoved when he walked down a hall.. the armory would be a jumbled mess when he came on duty.. being snubbed and derided at every opportunity. Unable to retaliate by fighting back, or he'd get written up by Gance, he couldn't even talk back, since few understood sign, and even the ones that knew a few signs would turn their backs on him. He spent most of each day brooding about what sort of duty they forced on him, and dreamed each night of his victims' accusing eyes. Somehow these people he was told to kill seemed different.

Any time before, if he'd been ordered to kill, he'd known the why... if not all the details. Someone that needed to die, deserved it for horrendous acts against innocents.. that they couldn't extract justice on any other way.. something that a man could reason in his head that it was a good thing. These people they pointed him at seemed like ordinary folks, no background, no reasons given. Simply a face and name, and the orders to murder.

He stood up and began locking down the armory for the night. He didn't hurry, it was extremely late, and all he had to look forward to was hearing the nightly name-calling as he crawled into his bunk.

The commando walked down the hall slowly. As he got to the turn to the barracks, he looked down at the way to the gym and decided he needed to work out more than he needed early sleep. The gym was empty at night, no one in this outfit would take rack time to exercise. He stripped off the shirt and the mask, and unfastened his boots to toss aside. Clad in fatigue pants, he looked around the lonely space. Since the practice mats were bare, he forwent the exercise machines and stepped onto the mat instead.

He crouched slightly, and started into the fluid movements of his first kata. As he warmed up, his motions grew quicker, the punches into the air harder, the kicks sharper. His routine sped up into the dancing whirling death, allowing him to sink into his mind, letting his body move without needing to think. It was a meditative state that relaxed him as nothing else here did. His limbs extended and flowed, one movement into the next, water over rocks, wind over grass.. his breathing deepened, his heartbeat sped, but his soul quieted. The fourth time through, he ended it, landing the last leap onto his feet with the slightest noise. He was woefully out of practice already. Only a month or so, and he'd half ruined his training. He shook his head.

"You really are a ninja." The quiet comment made him whirl around. Training was shot indeed.. he'd never heard anyone enter the gym. Nichols stood staring at him, and averted his eyes when he looked at his maimed face. Snake Eyes snatched up the balaclava to pull on and turned his back to the young Private. "Sorry.. I guess you thought you'd have the place to yourself." He shrugged in reply and picked up a towel. "I uhhh.. I really didn't think you were really... a ninja.. but.. you are. Aren't you?" He nodded wearily. "I never saw anything like that." The commando lifted a hand upwards in a querying motion and mopped sweat off his face then pulled the covering facemask into place. "How.. how did you get so messed up?" Snake Eyes pointed at his face. "Yeah.. what happened?"

He sighed but signed. *Helicopter accident. I was burned.* Nichols waited. *My.. teammate was trapped, I had to get her free, it was a long time ago*

"So.. you stayed in a burning chopper to save someone?" He nodded. "Wow. That's.. pretty heroic. What about the rest?"

Snake Eyes looked down at his oft marred body. It was crisscrossed with scarring here and there. He shrugged elaborately. *I joined the army. It happens*

Nichols shook his head. "No way, there's more to it. Markus and Josh have been in the army a long time, and they ain't got all scarred up."

*Maybe I'm more clumsy* Nichols gave him a look that said 'yeah right'. *My unit was pretty active, I was in a lot of fights*

"Well, I guess so. Why'd you transfer to this chicken outfit? Did you get tired of getting into firefights?" That touched in a painful way.

*My commanding officer sent me here, I screwed up I guess*

He watched the slender man sit down on a weight bench. "I guess you really must have screwed the pooch for sure if he sent you to us. What'd you do?" He shrugged. "Come on, you can tell me."

*I don't know. I thought it was all good, until Gance came to pick me up at the base.* He sat down too, he really thought he didn't want to talk to anyone, but it felt good to at least have someone to listen to him. *I just got back from a mission, and Gance met me and told me I had been transferred. I asked to talk to my commander, but he hasn't contacted me at all since I got here.*

"Did you kill someone on that mission too?"

He smiled a little ruefully. *Yes probably a lot of people, but they were at least trying to kill me first, not like the missions I've done here*

Nichols shrugged back at him. "Killing is still killing though right? You must enjoy it."

He looked shocked. *I don't enjoy killing. If that last mission had gone right, I wouldn't have killed anyone at all, it was just bad luck it went wrong*

"Oh. Well, you're so good at it. It doesn't seem to bug you that you go around shooting people."

*It bothers me a lot* At the disbelieving look he continued. *I have nightmares about them, the people I kill. I don't like it*

"Really? I mean... I kind of.. you know.. I sometimes have nightmares about.. well. I had to shoot a guy once, and I still sometimes have bad dreams about it. I figured as many folks as you've killed.. you wouldn't think twice about it anymore."

Snake Eyes looked at him calmly through experienced eyes. *I always think about them. Only a monster would not care about taking a life*

"Yeah.. I guess so. The other guys.. they laughed at me, said I was a baby for getting upset. I need to toughen up."

Snake Eyes reached to pat him on one shoulder. *You need to hang on to that, when you don't get upset about death, you become a monster on the inside.* Nichols nodded. *You should be worrying about getting a girlfriend, and what kind of car to get, things like that. You are a good kid.*

Nichols grinned a bit. "Well, I guess I'm not a ninja, I have to worry about becoming a monster. But.." He looked around the gym and yawned. "It's late, and we both better get some sleep. We'll both get our chops busted if we oversleep." Snake Eyes nodded and picked up his shirt and boots. "Good night Snake Eyes... and... umm.. thanks."

He motioned back at him. *Your welcome. Good night* They parted ways, and Snake Eyes managed to sleep better that night, with the burdens on his mind eased just a little bit.

* * * *

Back at the Pit:

General Hawk looked sternly down at the slightly built asian woman in front of his desk.

"I cannot allow you to go roaming around looking for someone who has transferred out of this unit. That would be both unprofessional and would also impinge on the military code of conduct."

Jinx looked furious. "Sensei Snake Eyes would never have left GI Joe without an explanation. A sensei does not leave his apprentices! And he would not leave his friends without even a good bye or telling them!"

Hawk frowned. "I know he wouldn't. Or.. at least, I thought I knew." He turned to look at the wall of pictures. "Snake Eyes has been on my team since I gathered it. I thought I knew him pretty well. But the paperwork is in order.. so I cannot simply allow you to go rushing off to poke your nose into another unit's business." Jinx took a deep breath to retort. "However... " She shut her mouth. "However... if I should happen to grant you two day leave.. and you should happen to take your leave in the general area that a former teammate is stationed in.. and you should happen to accidentally practice some of those ninja skills you do not possess and find out some facts..." He turned to look at her with one eyebrow raised. "In that case, I think all would work out in the end... do we have an understanding, Private Jinx?"

She smiled widely, echoing his devious look. "Of course Sir. I thank you for granting me leave time to.. meditate."

He gave a short nod and turned away. "Good, I'm glad we could come to this understanding..." She reached for the door. "And Jinx...?"

"Yes Sir?"

"Two things... do not get caught. And find out what happened with my friend."

She nodded, getting a hard look. "Yes Sir!" She strode out, mentally categorizing what she wanted to take, and where she needed to go. When she was in the armory, she turned to see Scarlett and Stalker standing there.

"Where are you going?" Scarlett's tone was flat and tense. She had been on edge since Snake Eyes disappeared.

Jinx took a deep breath, trying to think of how to phrase it. "I'm going on leave.. and not going to look for Snake Eyes... on non-orders from Hawk." She stared at them both, willing them to understand.

Stalker got a grim smile. "In that case, you should not take this smaller easier-to-conceal handgun, rather than that boss you have tucked in your shirt." Jinx exchanged guns. "And you should not tell the bastard that I miss him a hell of a lot more than he thinks." She nodded.

Scarlett stood uneasily and Jinx lowered her voice. "I'm going to find out what's going on. One way or another." She saw the redhead turn away for a second. When she turned back, her eyes were suspiciously damp.

"Find him Jinx. I know something is going on."

The tiny girl nodded then turned on her heel and left. She was the one to go, she was the senior of the apprentices, and there was no way that Kamakura was experienced enough to pull off a non-mission like this. She, on the other hand, was part of the Arashikage clan by birth. She lifted her chin and smiled one of those smirking smiles that always make the officers nervous that she was going to do some ninja thing that would bend the rules into noodles, but not quite break them enough for a formal reprimand. No one would keep her from her sensei.

End chap 9

And now, finally, maybe someone will get some answers! Or will Jinx fail? What would happen should she be caught? Would Snake Eyes want to go back?


	11. Chapter 11

Chap: 10(11)

Not many reviews, boring finally? Here's our ninja, and finally Jinx! Gotta love spunky little ninjas.. sneaky bugs.

As always thanks for reading!

Story continues.....

Sighing heavily, Snake Eyes dumped most of his dinner into the chute and put his tray up. He closed his ears to the taunting from the others and walked out. A flicker of motion made him turn and look down a hallway. Perhaps he was cracking up, all day he'd sworn he had seen something.. something at the edge of his vision. The obstacle course he'd run, something moved between buildings, but when he'd wanted to go check, he'd been stopped by the drill instructor. The commando wasn't allowed to leave certain areas, being told it would be a security risk since he wasn't approved for sensitive areas yet.

Nearly two full months here, and he'd just been told he was being sent out on yet another mission to kill a targeted person. This time would be another up close kill, in a residential home. He'd protested a little bit, and been shut up by the implication that refusing a mission would be a rather large black splotch on his mostly clean record here. If he'd have any chance at all of convincing Hawk to take him back, they'd said, he'd need a perfectly spotless record of behavior. Refusing orders would end up with him in the stockade, and escaping the stockade would see him court-martialed and imprisoned for good.

"Hey, get a load of this.." The low voice identified the speaker as Josh as Snake Eyes entered the showers. "BurgerFace is here." He ignored it. "Gonna be going back out to shoot someone new tomorrow, I hear? Maybe you can rape some women and kick some dogs while you're out too?" Laughter from the others in the bath area. If he ignored it, they got bored, and left. This time was no different. He was left to shower in peace.

So far the taunting stopped at verbal barbs. The rumors about his abilities were enough to keep him safe from physical threats. A look into his eyes was normally effective in quelling the most obnoxious grunts from thinking about starting a fight. He sighed and turned off the water. Redressed and masked, he finally went to bed. The others in his barracks muttered but since he didn't bother turning on lights, and never stumbled or banged into their bunks, they left him to go to bed without comments.

After a few hours, he turned over onto his back and sighed. Every time he closed his eyes he started to picture the latest face he'd been given to kill. Tomorrow he'd go into this man's home to kill him. He was so tired of it. Perhaps it would be better to just spend his life in prison instead. But if there were a chance of getting reinstated in the Joes, then he needed to follow orders. His refusal wouldn't spare any lives, they would just send in someone else. His thoughts drifted to Scarlett, and what she must think of him. Sent off in disgrace by Hawk.. it was no wonder she hadn't contacted him. He had written out a few letters, handing them over to the admin offices to mail. There'd been no replies. He hadn't gotten any word from anyone at all. Not even his apprentices had sent word. He was used to never getting mail from anyone ever.. but now that he was separated from his friends.. he wondered that no one thought enough to send him a note.

He sighed again. Then he looked to the side. A shadow in the room moved just slightly. His breathing slowed and he let his body relax.. someone was in the room. Was tonight the night they would try to attack him? If he fought back, he'd win, but get into trouble.. if he didn't fight back, he'd no doubt take injuries, and it would certainly escalate the harassment. The person's arm moved and he focused on it without shifting at all. The movement was repeated.

He suddenly raised a hand to sign. *Jinx* The shadow moved closer to his bed. *Jinx what are you doing in here* His apprentice slipped up to the edge of his bunk and he felt her hand clasp his. The warm contact made his breath catch.

She motioned simple signs at him. *Gym* He nodded. Her signing was clumsy, never having needed to preform signing to him, she'd never practiced it. Luckily she could read his signing perfectly. She stepped back and disappeared into the shadows. His sharp ears caught the soft noise as she climbed the wall, presumably into one of the air vents.

He waited for a couple minutes then eased out of his bunk, and out of the barracks room. Padding silently down the hall, he stepped into the darkened gym and waited impatiently. Why was his apprentice here, hiding in the dark? He fumed over it. She knew better than to be using her training to break into military bases. When she couldn't be bothered to write a letter, but decided to go on a lark and break into a secure base.. when he got a hold of her.. she dropped onto the floor from somewhere in the ceiling and he turned to be grabbed in a tight hug.

"Sensei!" Her soft whisper made a pang of longing throb inside him. The contact from a friend was so wanted.. he gave in and hugged her tightly. "Sensei, your mask.."

He sighed. *I left it in the room. They won't let me wear my real mask anyway* She gasped. Her hand reached up hesitantly to his face, and he captured it gently and moved it away. *Don't. Be happy the lights are off*

She snorted. "I don't care. Why did you leave?"

He suddenly remembered his anger and took her arm to shake it, signing with his free hand. *Leave? Why are you here? You haven't even sent me a letter, but you will break into a base? Are you so irresponsible that you would risk everything for a prank? Have I taught you nothing?*

She jerked free and hissed at him. "I did write letters! I came because you wouldn't respond, you left without telling anyone why! Everyone is upset and want to know why you would just leave without telling any of us what's wrong!"

He stared at her. *Hawk sent me here. I don't know why he transferred me*

She shook her head. "Hawk didn't transfer you, you asked for a transfer." He shook his head firmly. "Yes you did, we saw the papers where you went over his head to request a transfer out of the Joes."

*That's wrong, I never asked to leave. Forsyth said Hawk was tired of dealing with me and was going to have me discharged. Forsyth was the only one who would take me on*

Jinx leaned in close. "That's a lie.. Hawk never wanted you gone.. he's the one who wanted me to come find you. Something very strange is happening here."

Snake eyes thought. *I think someone is lying.. and it's not me and it's not Hawk.* He paused. *Does Scarlett hate me?*

Jinx smiled. "She's mad as a wet hen, but she's mad because you left, she doesn't know you didn't ask to be transferred."

He took a deep breath. *Why would I ask to leave the Joes, they are my friends. I want to go back, it's terrible here, they hate me*

Jinx nodded at him and reached to grip his shoulder in sympathy. "I know.. I watched you all day."

He pulled away a little and pointed a finger at her. *You're very sloppy, I saw you several times. I didn't know it was you, but you should never be seen when you are spying*

She gulped. "Sensei.. I thought I was.. I mean.. I let you see me.. really.. it was deliberate that I allowed... umm.." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry Sensei, I was upset and wasn't as careful as I should have been."

He nodded at her. *You will work on that. Even Kamakura can remain unseen.. sometimes.*

She grinned. "When he's inside a bag maybe." She heard the puff of exasperated breath.

*You two rivals. You should be happy to help him learn skills, not gloat at being better than him.*

She ducked her head. "I know, I'll try to do better. But first we have to get you out of here."

*Go back to the Pit, tell Hawk I didn't ask to be transferred. He'll have to work it out.*

She put her hands on her hips to whisper furiously. "You can just leave! They can't keep you here. You're a ninja master!"

*Quiet youngling! When will you learn that the army is not a game, I can't leave without orders* She gave a sulky huff. *I'm not a child, to run away when I don't like the game*

"You left without permission before."

He suddenly towered over her, his signs sharp and forceful. *That was for a important reason, not on a whim because I was unhappy. Go back to Hawk, tell him what I said.*

She bowed slightly. "Yes Sensei. I'm sorry, I understand. Hawk will know what to do."

He gave a sharp nod. *And be kind to Kamakura, he is your apprentice brother. And be careful leaving, no more sloppy hiding, if you get caught they won't be understanding*

She nodded. "I'll try Sensei." He suddenly relented and gathered her slight form in his arms, hugging her tightly. She clutched him back.

He had to release her to sign carefully. *I miss you. Be careful. Thank you.* She nodded. *Don't cry, you'll get stuffed up and give yourself away.* She sniffed a little bit. *See? Tell Scarlett ....* He sighed painfully. *Tell her I miss her a lot.*

She nodded and smiled. "I'll tell her you long to see her face and shining hair and that you think of the day you will be reunited constantly."

He chuffed at her. *She'll know you're lying. Go. Hurry before you get caught.* She looked at him one last time before leaping up and catching the edge of the air vent to disappear. He watched her pull the vent shut behind her and felt a terrible urge to follow her. If he gave in, he would guarantee himself a long stay in prison.. or a life on the run. Neither would be something he would wish on his friends.

He suddenly smiled widely. His friends missed him.. Hawk didn't send him away.. suddenly the smile disappeared. Someone was setting all of this up... when he found out.. he sighed. When he found out, if he found out, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He would have to hope General Hawk could dole out punishment, since he was nothing but a lowly sergeant. He turned and walked back to his bunk, slipping back into it soundlessly. He hoped that he would get word soon that he could go back to the Pit and the rest of the Joes. Until then, he'd follow orders and keep his nose clean.

End chapter.

I may not update for a few days. A close friend died, and I need to go be with his family. Sorry for my spoiled readers.


	12. Chapter 12

Chap 11

First, my apologies to my readers. I've been unable to update, due to the death of a close friend. I appreciate your understanding.

Second, this will begin the 'grim' part, more or less. Bad things will happen(No character death, I promise).

* * * *

Snake Eyes with the team...

"Hey Eyes!! Pay attention!" Josh slapped at the commando's shoulder in irritation. "We're getting ready to go, what are you looking at out there?" Snake Eyes ignored him and finished scanning the outer perimeter, satisfied that if his apprentice had disobeyed him, at least she was hiding well. He hoped she had left last night, headed back to the Pit where she'd be safer. "Hey look, are you deaf now instead of just dumb?"

He turned to look into the other man's eyes coldly, then signed gracefully. *Better to be dumb than stupid* Nichols coughed and turned away before Josh could catch him watching.

"What'd he say?"

The younger man looked over with an innocent expression plastered all over his bland face. "What? I wasn't looking.."

Snake Eyes lowered one eyelid just a fraction at him and signed placidly for him to translate. "He says he's ready to go as soon as the surveillance gear is onboard."

Suspicious, Josh glared at them both, but stomped away muttering. The ninja smiled under his hood. *You're going to get painted with the same brush as I if you are not more careful*

Nichols shrugged at him. "Whatever. Go wave your hands at someone who cares." Snake Eyes snorted at the riposte and went to recheck his weapons. This time, he'd be allowed to bring his swords and knives. Whatever the target was, or had done, it was serious enough for the General to override Gance's distaste for his martial arts weapons, and order that the skilled killer be allowed to choose his own gear. Thus, finally, he was clad in dull black clothing with slight patches of dark gray, and carrying at least some of his normal weaponry. He was to get inside the residence, find the target and kill him, and get back out, without witnesses left behind. The intel on the house said he would be in the house by himself during this evening, and so it was the perfect time to strike.

Snake Eyes made a slight face of disgust. It was merely more killing, without explanation or excuse. He tried to think positive about it, that perhaps Hawk would straighten out the mistakes, and get him transferred back to the Joe team before he had to take on any more missions for this unit of murderous nitwits.

Josh's voice broke through his thoughts. "Hey dummy... get on board. Yeah, you." He sighed and climbed into the transport van. He was beginning to loathe the sight of the nondescript vehicles. They would drop him off in the general vicinity and then fall back to watch for him to exit the house for pick up. They had already installed small wireless cams to cover most of the exterior of the house prior to the mission, and the van had access to those video feeds. If not for the skill at being unseen, they could have watched him enter the place, and perhaps watched through the windows even. However, he didn't intend to be so clumsy. If they wanted a visible strike force, they should have used a SWAT team instead of a ninja.. even if they didn't believe in ninjas.

They had a two hour drive to get into position, so he leaned back against the wall and tried to rest. He kept picturing the house floorplan in his head, working out where the target was likely to be, and what the most secluded entrance would be. Early evening, probably most likely he'd find him in the ground level office or living room, relaxing, all unaware that his life would end tonight.

* * * *

The harsh voice snapped his attention free again as Josh spoke up from the front seat. "Alrighty, Nichols, kick our dog off his chain. It's time for him to earn his keep." His quasi-friend made a face at the insulting comments and slid the door open. Snake Eyes slipped out and disappeared before the door shut. "Get the video feed up, I want to see when he goes in." Josh turned back to the monitors. "And make sure we get him on the damn videos this time, he's got to be in view to get in the doors or windows this time." Nichols snorted loudly. "You got something to say there, baby face?"

He looked over and gauged how irritated he really was. "We won't see him go in. We'll never see him going in. He's too good to just walk in front of a camera."

Josh sneered at him. "Yeah right. Cause he's a big bad ninja warrior right? You sorry sack of junk. You don't believe that baloney do you?" Looking intently at his monitors, the Private refused to respond. "Yeah, I didn't think so. He's a killer, natural born killer, and we might as well use him as our killer. I bet he ends up cracking up at some point, and we'll have to put him down like a rabid dog." He grinned as his jab hit home, seeing the shoulders tighten up on his subordinate. "Yeah.. just have to give him a bullet to the head one night, put him out of his misery before he turns on one of us." He laughed softly and crouched to walk up to the front of the van, leaving Nichols to fume silently in the back.

* * * *

"Josh... something's going on.." After an hour of normal evening neighborhood boring doldrums rolling by on the cameras, Nichols had finally spotted something amiss. "I just saw something rattle the blinds in the kitchen window."

All business, Josh moved his large frame to peer into the monitor. A little fiddling got the angle zoomed in. "Just someone looking out.. or more?"

"Way more.. like someone just ran into them.." He leaned closer to peer, trying to see through the rucked up cracks in the blinds that hung slightly askew. "Was that a muzzle flash?"

Josh growled. "Better not have been, dummy knows he's supposed to do this without attracting any attention from the neighbors..." He watched intently, switching the other monitors to different views of the exterior. "I don't wanna have to go in there and extract the idiot. There can't be that many people in the house."

Nichols looked over sharply. "You said it would just be the target. You never said there'd be extra people inside."

Josh's face cracked in a unamused smile. "Yeah, I said that, didn't I, now?" He lost the grin and pointed at one of the angles showing the side of the house. "What's that? What was that? Is that him?" Nichols typed out a few commands on the console and replayed the bit of tape. "There... there's a shadow that moved.. right there.. is that him?"

"I can't tell.. maybe. Could just be shadows from cars driving by.. THERE!" He pointed at a smudge of light that briefly showed. "That's from three houses over though.. someone probably taking out the garbage..."

Josh puffed out a breath. "What's taking so long?" They watched the monitors intently, and both of them leapt up when a rattle sounded outside the van door. "What the hell!?" Josh pulled a handgun out and threw the door open, pointing the muzzle at a slumped figure in black. "You nearly got SHOT! Stupid..."

Nichols was up and reaching past him to grab one arm and tug him into the van. "Snake Eyes.. geez, you gave us heart failure.." He was alarmed when the commando stumbled getting up into the vehicle. "What's wrong?" There was no response. "Holy.. Josh, he's covered in blood.."

Josh reached to shake the unresponsive man hard. "Is the mission done?" He got a weary nod as his only reply. "You're sure?" Another slow nod, and then Snake Eyes sat down in the corner, letting his arms fall into his lap limply, staring at his blood soaked gloves. "Keep an eye on him Nichols. We're buggin' out." Josh motioned for their driver to go and settled himself in the passenger seat, turning it around to look at the motionless figure. "Looks like my estimate of him going around the bend wasn't so premature after all." He swiveled back to face the road.

Nichols glared at the back of his head, and bent down to talk quietly. "Are you okay? What happened?" No response, and he pressed his lips together for a second. "Look.. I'm gonna check you out okay?" The slumped figure didn't object, so he reached to touch his head, which seemed to be soaked in blood. His hand was suddenly slapped away. "I just want to help.. let me see if you're okay."

He barely heard the slither of steel being bared, but was looking at the gleaming edge of a very large K-bar knife. "Okay.. so you're alright.. no problem.. just calm down..." He tried to muster up a smile at the blank eyes staring at him in fear. "It's okay.. it's your buddy Nichols.. right? Let's put that knife away.. I'm not gonna hurt you.." The knife lowered slightly as the fearful expression became confused. "You got whacked in the head.. it's okay.. just let me see how bad it is.." He smiled and nodded at the commando.

When he motioned for Snake Eyes to lower the knife, he let out a sigh of relief when the blade settled back to his lap. The blank stare seemed to look through him rather than at him. "Okay.. see? That's better.. " He picked up the medic kit and pulled some gauze out to wet it with water. "I'm just gonna clean your head up a little.. just to see how bad.. okay?" No response, and he reached to touch the wet cloth to the seeping wound on the side of the head. He barely saw a twitch of response as he wiped the bloody mess. He pressed gently, trying to remember his field medic training from Basic. Nothing seemed to be very soft, did that mean the skull was intact? If it wasn't intact, would he damage something by poking it too much? "Okay.. let me look.. " He tried to speak soothingly, hoping the knife would stay away from his own skin. "Josh.. man.. I think he's been shot in the head.."

Josh turned the seat enough to watch him for a second. "If it ain't bleeding out, just leave it for the medics to look at when we get back."

Nichols glared hate at the back of his head. He carefully reached to take hold of the lower part of the hood. "Let's get your mask off, see how bad this is." With a sudden lurch, he was shoved across the van and down onto the floor, a cold edge pressed against his throat. "No.. no please.. " The blue eyes that earlier today had shared amusement now stabbed into his soul, and he went cold at the blank terror contained in them. "It's okay.. I'm sorry.. I won't mess with it.. don't..." He felt a hand on his chest, and Snake Eyes pushed himself back up, crouching and looking around the inside of the van for a second. The knife was bloody, and Nichols felt at his throat. He didn't feel any cuts.

Josh's voice cut sharply through the engine noise. "Sit it down soldier!" He was surprised when the crazed ninja obeyed. He settled into the back corner and stared at the wall blankly. "Nichols.. leave him alone. I don't want to have to write out a report on why you got gutted by our own commando on the drive back to base, got me?"

He nodded and swallowed hard. Watching carefully for any movement, he crawled to his low seat at the monitors and began shutting them down, saving the information before beginning pulling the wires and plugs out. The entire drive back, Snake Eyes never moved, never looked at anything. The blank stare was unnerving, and he could only be glad it wasn't directed at him.

* * * *

End Chapter

How did you like this update? Do you wonder what happened in that house? Care to comment on the bits and parts? Let me know what you are thinking as a reader. I will be trying to continue updating, spoiling my readers. Do you like being spoiled? Or is it tiresome, having to read new chapters so often? Numbers were down for the last two chapters, and I don't want to continue updating a story if people are not enjoying it. But I do love the reviews I've been getting.

As always, thank you for reading.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

So now the mission is done, and it's obviously not gone totally according to plan.. what's happened? Has our infamous ninja snapped? What about Jinx? What the heck is going on, and who is gonna do something about it!?

Thank you all for the many notes and reviews. They are all appreciated! Please review to tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you'd want. I'll read every review slowly, lingering over each word, drawing every nuance out of it until I've drained every mote of energy possible from it's dry dessicated carcuss.

Now read the next chapter!

* * * *

At the Pit:

The messhall was nearly full. Most of the Joes were gathered in small groups, talking about the various rumors and tidbits of dropped information and theories about the new disappearance of Jinx. Shipwreck waved a piece of bread animatedly. "First Snake Eyes, now Jinx! Next thing Kamakura will disappear! It's obvious to me that all our ninjas are going AWOL!" A few heads nodded but most turned back to their own conversations.

Kamakura scowled at the table the sailor was seated at, but the hand that landed lightly on his shoulder kept him from going to confront them. He looked over at BeachHead. "They shouldn't be saying such things! Sensei and Jinx would never just run off."

He was patted in a reassuring manner. "We know that. Ain't gonna make no nevermind listenin' to those jack-jaws. Jus' ignore 'em. Besides, it's General Hawk and Duke's place to be discussin' it, not us."

Kamakura sighed. "I'd feel better if Jinx had let me know she was going somewhere." He looked around carefully. "Scarlett and Stalker are keeping really quiet, and I'll bet that they know something about all this."

The crusty drill sergeant huffed a little bit. "Scarlett is always up to her pretty neck in everything. Comes from hangin' out with all you ninja types and being Intel. And Stalker, he's always in the know." He laid a finger along his nose and lowered his voice. "I happen to know myself, you shouldn't worry about your little apprentice sister, she's not very far away right now."

Kamakura's jaw dropped. "What? What do you mean? Did you see her?" He narrowed his eyes at the sly look he got in return. "You saw her didn't you?! Why didn't she come to tell me she's back?"

BeachHead shifted his chair back and leaned it against the wall casually. "I didn't tell you I saw nothin'. I also didn't tell you to keep yer mouth shut about her being back and lookin' hot under her collar neither. I'm sure that whenever she gets done with whatever she's doin', she'll be along to tell us all about it."

The young apprentice heaved a sigh. "It doesn't make waiting any easier." There was a sudden commotion at the messhall entrance.

Ace yelped in an undignified manner and left to his feet, raising his voice over the hubbub. "Attenhut!!" Everyone stood, despite the lack of ceremony among the Joe team, everyone acknowledged General Hawk, who even now strode into the hall looking murderously quiet. He ran his hard gaze across the room, and then pointed at several Joes in turn.

Hawk's voice rang out. "Wild Bill, fuel up the Tomahawk and be ready to take off in one hour. Heavy Duty, Lifeline, LadyJaye, gear up and be in hanger four." His expression became even more angry. "We're going to go get our ninja back." He turned and strode out, leaving the messhall quiet as everyone digested the information. Wild Bill suddenly leapt to his feet and ran out, followed by the other three designated Joes.

It only took a moment for Kamakura to get to his feet, but he was stopped from leaving by Snowjob and Ace. "Where do you think you're going there?" Snowjob turned him around adroitly, heading him back towards the tables.

"I'm going with them! Snake Eyes is my sensei!"

Ace wagged a finger at him. "I didn't hear Hawk yelling your name.. so no you're not going."

Kamakura stopped himself from stomping his foot in exasperation. It was a childish habit that never failed to annoy people. "But... but..."

Snowjob patted him in a maddeningly fatherly fashion. "Let them go do their jobs. I'm sure that if Hawk thought they needed your skills on the mission, he'd have called your name. Now to be sure you stay out of trouble, you can come sit with us.. "

A familiar voice spoke up from behind them, and they whirled to see the slender Jinx standing there looking annoyed. "Yes, Kamakura, be patient. General Hawk is going to take care of everything." She held up a hand. "He told me to keep my mouth shut, so I can't say anything, so don't ask!" She turned and walked out, headed down the halls towards the gym.

* * * *

Back with Snake Eyes...

The transport van arrived at the base and pulled into one of the garages. Josh hopped out and opened the side door, and Markus appeared to stand and look thoughtfully at the seated unresponsive commando.

"What's up with him?"

Josh shrugged. "I think his brain snapped, he said the mission was done though. I don't have any idea what went on inside the house. Oh.. he might have gotten shot or something."

Nichols glared at them both and bent to talk to Snake Eyes. "Hey we're back.. come on, time to get out." A dull uninterested gaze tilted up to peer at him, and he reached to take hold of one arm. "Come on.. we'll get your head looked at.. you probably have a concussion.. or something." A tug or two got him to clamber to his feet and exit the van. "There ya go.. just a bit stunned, getting whacked like you must have would spin anyone for a loop."

Josh snorted loudly. "Whatever. We gotta go to debriefing." Before Nichols could protest, he smirked at him. "I'm sure Eyes here will be just fine, if he topples over on the way, we can scoop him up and take him to the medics, but he's a tough guy, right?" He jabbed the commando in the side.

Since Snake Eyes followed after them without protest, Nichols could only fall in behind. He did note that the ninja still carried his weapons, both katana and sword sword sheathed on his back, and the deadly looking K-bar knife had disappeared back to wherever he had it secreted. Partially dried blood caked both the side of his head, across his torso and down one thigh. His quiet friend looked like he'd walked through a slaughterhouse.

Down several halls, they came to the administration offices and Markus rapped twice on General Forsyth's door and ushered all of them in. Reporting on the mission quickly, Josh glossed over the wounded commando's appearance and made certain to hand over the files and tapes himself.

The General nodded, glancing at the ragged Snake Eyes. "Mission was preformed? It's done?" He received a nod. "Good job then."

Suddenly there was loud shouting outside in the offices and the door slammed open. Forsyth stood up yelling. "What's the meaning of this!! Who dares.."

A very grim faced Hawk stepped in, followed by a huge black man and a deadly looking woman holding weapons like they knew how to use them. They flanked him to either side, looking almost as angry as he did. Nichols stepped back slightly, while Josh and Markus shifted to be slightly closer to their commanding officer.

"I dare!! I'm here to collect MY sergeant, and to be certain the transfer back to MY unit is permanent! You'll be lucky if I don't have you brought up on charges of forgery and breech of ethics!"

A vicious and very loud shouting match erupted, with the two generals throwing words in each other's faces, while the two strange soldiers stood flanking the doorway, watching with careful eyes. Throughout the uproar, Snake Eyes stood, looking at the floor blankly. Nichols hoped there wouldn't be a firefight, because Hawks' soldiers looked like they would love any excuse to shoot everyone in the room. "You POACHED my team member, and you forged the transfer request, and I have the proof!"

Suddenly General Forsyth became sly. "Well, I have him in my unit right now, and I'll assign him where I see fit!" Hawk growled lowly. "Josh.. take MY sergeant over to the holding cells.." Josh grinned and grabbed a arm to yank the unresisting commando towards the door. The two soldiers stepped in the way, and he stopped and glowered at them.

Hawk swung a finger to point. "You're not taking him anywhere. He's going back with us. You've pulled your last stunt Forsyth! I've overlooked your greed and corrupt power plays, but not this time! You're going down!"

Forsyth had gone slightly pale. Nichols looked and saw no reaction in the ninja, who stood where he'd been moved to, seemingly paying no attention to the argument in the room.

Forsyth's desperation to stop Hawk was evident as he pointed at his armed soldier. "You won't leave this room! Markus! Take them down!"

The burly lieutenant grabbed his sidearm and got it pulled free of the holster. Before he could raise it, a soft noise rang through the room, and he swallowed carefully, staring at the katana blade that pricked into his neck just above the pulsing jugular vein. The previously unaware ninja now stared at him down the length of the sword, slowly beginning to press in. Unable or unwilling to protect himself, he'd acted when Hawk was threatened.

Blood trickled from the tip, and Markus whined. "okay... okay.. stop.. "

He dropped his pistol on the floor, but Snake Eyes only stepped slightly closer, staring into his face with a strange mad fascination. Nichols watched him tilt his head slightly and he swore he saw him smile under the cloth.

Markus was holding himself perfectly still. "... please.. don't.. don't do it.." The ninja pressed just a little more, and the trickle became a runnel that dripped onto the clean khaki shirt.

General Hawk stepped towards the pair. "That's enough Snake Eyes." The commando gave no sign of hearing him and slid a fraction closer, beginning to twist the sword ever so slightly. "Snake Eyes.. stand down! That's an order!" The sharp tone seemed to break through, and he turned to look with the crazy glazed glint. "Stand down!" Turning back, he looked into Markus's terrified face, showing desperate madness within the cold blue eyes. Then he stepped backwards, putting himself at the side of his true commanding officer.

Forsyth opened his mouth but clicked it closed when Hawk turned on him. "If I ever... EVER hear of even the slightest move on your part to try to get a hold of another of my people.. or hear of some ploy to move against me or my team.."

Forsyth sneered. "You'll what?? You'll send your little pet commando after me?"

Hawk let a slow humorless smile cross his face as he leaned in. "No.. I won't send Snake Eyes... I'll come after you myself, and I'll make you wish I had let Snake Eyes here have you for a toy." Evidently something in his expression made Forsyth believe him, because he blanched white.

"Now.. " Hawk turned his back on the room with contempt. "Let's go." He started towards the door, and the ninja stood gazing at them for a few seconds. "Snake Eyes... " Now the bloodied figure twisted in place and left, padding along behind the departing force. Nichols stood still, waiting for the shouting to begin. He wasn't disappointed.

* * * *

End chapter

I can hear you guys clearly through my ninja spy troops... "Well it's ABOUT DAMN TIME!". Yep. You can't let the Joes go but so long before they'll get up and go TAKE BACK what's rightfully theirs. But is it too late? Is Snake Eyes already too mentally damaged? Has his psyche snapped?

As always I'm humbled that you choose to read my feeble attempts at writing. It pleases me to no end to know that other people are entertained by my efforts! Thank you especially to all my faithful reviewers!


	14. Chapter 14

Chap 13

Thank you guys for all the wonderful support and well wishes. It is greatly appreciated. I'm glad that you're enjoying this little story(okay, long story), and hope to continue to entertain you! Also, aside from reviewing this story, feel free to suggest stories you might want me to write up(in my spare time). Please don't suggest Duke/Scarlett, or self-inserts. I will be writing a couple about Lifeline, an upcoming short about Psyche-Out, and I have a totally unrelated bit of fluff I'm still poking at. New ideas are always welcome.

Believe it or not, this chapter is about pretty much ONLY the chopper ride back to the Pit. Yes, it ran on a bit. Scary part? I shortened it three times. So.. here it is! Please enjoy, and as always, Thank You for reading!

* * * *

Outside, the small group moved quickly across the parade ground to the airstrip they'd left the chopper on. Wild Bill stood by the open door, watching as Heavy Duty and Lady Jaye trotted in the lead watchfully, followed by the severe General Hawk and the now slightly limping Snake Eyes. "Whoooeee! I wondered if we'd have to lead a rescue party charging in there!"

Hawk was in no mood and motioned him into the chopper. "Take us home." Everyone climbed in, Heavy Duty took up the gunner's position at one door, while Lady Jaye took the other. They weren't cracking a smile at anything, looking like they expected a barrage of antiaircraft fire any moment. Wild Bill scrambled to get the bird off the ground, switching his helmet radio to listen in to his passengers.

Lifeline waited only until the chopper was properly airborne before he unbuckled and moved back to the ninja who Hawk had strapped into a seat in the back of the craft.

"Is he injured?" Hawk nodded. "I'll get my medikit." By the time he'd gotten the case set down and open, Lady Jaye was there to help. "Hey Snake Eyes.." The medic gave him a reassuring smile as he spoke loudly over the engine noise. "Gonna have a look-see, where are you hurt?" He reached to tilt the commando's head sideway, looking at the ugly gash. "This is a bullet wound. He's been clipped in the head by a gunshot.." He leaned down to speak directly to Snake Eyes face. "Are you dizzy?" He got no response. "I need you to tell me, can you hear me?" Nothing, and he knelt in front of him, looking into the glazed eyes.

Lady Jaye grabbed an overhead strap to balance herself. "Looks like he's in shock. Where's his mask? That's a standard balaclava."

Lifeline shook his head. "I dunno.. it's gonna have to come off, I need to see how bad this is.." He reached up carefully, speaking slowly to the ninja, hoping he was coherent. "I gotta take this.. okay? Look.. just gonna.." His gentle tug taking off the hood stopped when Snake Eyes grabbed his wrist and twisted. He let out a sharp cry of pain, and grimaced. "Hey hey.. calm down.. it's Lifeline.. look.. look it's me.." He watched the eyes that had almost always been hidden behind a visor before as they searched the inside of the chopper briefly. "Look at me.." They fastened on his face, he felt a chill at the insanity he could see. "Hey Snake Eyes.. we've all been waiting for you to get back... you remember me?" He was relieved when the mute figure nodded once. "Yeah.. I'm your buddy, right?" Another nod. "I won't hurt you, I have to take off the mask, so I can help you, okay?" He waited while the words processed slowly.

The ninja was probably deep in shock, the wounds were already mostly clotted, so it had been some time since they were inflicted. His wrist was released slowly and the hand came up to touch his face gently. "Hey! I missed you too! Glad to have you coming back." A blink. "Ready for me to take off the mask?" Instead, Snakes reached and peeled it off himself, yanking it loose from the clotted mess, causing fresh blood to flow. "Hey.. hey.. easy.. now you've gone and made it bleed." The medic pressed gauze over it, putting pressure on it and using his fingers to feel along the skull. He tried not to look at the scarred face. "You've probably got a skull fracture, but for being shot in the head, that's not so bad, right?" His teasing tone went unnoticed as the ninja stared at nothing. Lifeline had seen that look before, called the 'thousand yard stare' by combat veterans. It usually heralded a traumatic event that the brain just didn't want to handle. He gave a friendly pat. "I'm gonna wrap this up, see if it stops bleeding, then I'll see what else you got as souvenirs." Hastily wrapping a pressure bandage into place, he ran experienced hands down both arms, finding only superficial cuts.

Lady Jaye leaned in closer. "What can I do?"

He shook his head and turned to talk in a lower tone next to her ear. "He's really out of it, we just need to try to keep his attention.. " He shifted and cupped a hand to her ear. "Don't stare at his face, you know how he hates for people to look at him."

She nodded and grabbed to seat herself next to the ninja. The worst scarring was on his left, so she settled to the right side. "Hey Snakes, everyone is waiting for you to get back.. we missed you. I bet Roadblock will even cook us up a good dinner. Bet you missed his grub, huh?" No response.

Lifeline pulled out his scissors. "Hey Snakes, gonna get your shirt opened up, there's a lot of blood on it, I want to see how bad it is." He was surprised when he signed a hesitant clumsy response.

*not mine*

Lifeline looked at Lady Jaye a second. "Well, I'll have a quick glance, make sure you didn't pick up some cuts.. maybe you don't realize it."

The hand moved again, quicker this time. *My leg hurts* Lifeline nodded, and reached to tug the shirtfront a little, slipping the scissors into a rent and slicing it open. *Look.. all blood.. it's not mine.*

Lifeline gripped his arm gently. "It's okay.. we're gonna take care of you.. see?" His hand was slapped away and the ninja tried to stand up, but was still restrained by the seat harness. "Hey! No no! Sit down.. stay put! You're hurt!"

The signs became more frantic, as he looked himself over, suddenly distressed in a manner Lifeline had never seen Snake Eyes show. *Not mine.. blood.. I'm all blood.. *

The medic felt out of his depth as he watched traumatized expressions cross Snake Eyes naked face. He grasped the hands and looked into the frantic eyes calmly. Holding his hands kept him from signing, but the fear and confusion still showed clearly. "It's okay. You're in shock. Remember in Basic when they told us all about what happens when you get hurt? You go into shock. Your body is confused, but it's all right. I'm right here, and I won't let anything bad happen. We're flying back to the Pit.."

Suddenly Snake Eyes peered at Lady Jaye in confusion. *You're looking at me*

She smiled. "You're looking at me, fair's fair." He nodded and looked away. His sweaty blond hair was smoothed gently by her hand. "See? Who's your bud?" His name sign for her was made in the air. "You got that right. Let Lifeline check you out now."

He sat back and watched the medic slicing open his pants leg, checking a deep thigh wound. When he saw the puncture, his gaze went distant again. Lifeline cleaned it as best he could, distressed at the amount of bleeding it was doing. Putting a pressure bandage on it, he watched the pad become soaked.

"You're bleeding a lot. You gotta stop letting folks stab you, Snake Eyes." The commando jerked at the comment. He reached to pull at his shoulder gently. "Lean forward.. let me see your back.." A push got him sitting upright again.

Snake Eyes blinked and seemed to see Hawk seated across from him. *Hawk* The commander nodded at him. Snake Eyes reached up to hold his hand over his face, looking away. He signed without looking at Hawk. *Markus would have shot you*

"I know. Thank you."

*You should have let me kill him*

Hawk shook his head. "He's not worth it."

Snake Eyes turned his head to stare at him. *Neither were all the rest. I killed them.* He suddenly looked stricken. *I killed all of them*

Hawk leaned closer. "Who? Who did they have you kill?" A silent headshake was the only answer, the pain filled eyes going blank again.

Lifeline turned to the general. "He's bleeding pretty badly again.." He shifted to grab down a different medical case. "I'm going to start a i.v. and see if I can get some fluids in him. He's already in shock, and he's lost too much blood, and been shot in the head..." He pressed his lips together angrily. "The things people do to each other are sickening. I hate seeing my friends hurt." The helicopter swayed roughly, and Lifeline grabbed at the dangling strap and missed, stumbling towards the open door. Lady Jaye grabbed him by his shoulder strap and steadied him.

Wild Bill's voice came over their helmets."Sorry folks, we're gonna hit a little rough weather. Heavy Duty, you better pull in from the gunner's port." The chopper rattled again. "Get those doors shut, and secure any loose stuff."

Lady Jaye unstrapped and began taking care of loose objects, while Heavy Duty secured the mounted weapons and grabbed the door.

"Shuttin' 'er up! Clear the doorway!" He waited a few seconds then wrenched the door shut with a loud clang.

The noise made Snake Eyes' head snap up and he clawed at his harness wildly. *Door.. secure door.. dust filters.. where Scarlett? Door..*

Lady Jaye grabbed one arm and pulled his hand away from the harness release. "No you don't Snakes.. hey!" Lady Jaye was shoved across the cabin.

Hawk lunged to grab the paniced figure by an arm and wrapped his free hand around the release to prevent the harness coming loose. "SNAKE EYES!! Stop!!" The commando thrashed but couldn't quite get himself coordinated enough to break free. "Heavy Duty, get that other door shut!"

Lady Jaye staggered over as the chopper swung hard to starboard. "Snakes thinks we're crashing!" She grabbed his other arm. "We're fine, we're not going down! We're green.. good to go!" Her grip slipped when he twisted himself like an eel, finally popping the harness free. "No!! Snake Eyes!" There was a second loud bang, and the noise cut dramatically.

Heavy Duty appeared just as the ninja got free of clutching hands. He scooped him into a bearhug and spoke soothingly in his ear. "Hey hey.. it's all good, I got ya.. chopper's fine.. all good man.." The struggles slowed. "You with us.. come on.. calm down." They got him back into the seat and the harness refastened. "Hey medical dude... there's a awful lot of blood coming out of our friend here."

Lifeline gritted his teeth. "I know, I'm trying to get it stopped, but it's difficult when your patient keeps trying to jump out of the ambulance." He rebandaged the thigh, and finally got the i.v. started. Handing the bag of clear fluid to Lady Jaye, he rolled the stop free. "Squeeze it." His patient tipped over slightly and he pushed him back upright. "Come on.. you're a big tough ninja, so stay awake for us." He watched as Snake Eyes blinked dully. "You're doing great!" He forced his tone to be cheerful. "We'll be back at the Pit soon, and Doc will get you all fixed up." A headshake. "No? I'll bet you don't get a choice."

Heavy Duty barked laughter. "No bet. Doc is the only member of the team that can bully all of us."

Hawk nodded. "He does, and he's supposed to. Snake Eyes, you with us?" He got a nod. "Good man. What happened?" A slow headshake. "It's okay.. whatever they ordered you to do, you were under orders, it's not your fault." Another headshake. "We'll talk later."

Lifeline began to mutter. "I should have packed plasma." He blew out an exasperated breath. "I didn't know I'd be picking up a trauma patient, but I should have planned better."

Hawk clapped a hand on his back. "You're doing fine. We got him back, and that's what matters."

Lady Jaye tilted her head at him. "How did you know what was going on?" The commander looked at the front of the chopper briefly. Snake Eyes suddenly signed Jinx's name sign several times.

Hawk nodded at him. "Yes, Jinx came and told me. She's fine, Jinx is fine, she's at the Pit and safe."

Heavy Duty shook his head. "I don't understand though.. they couldn't keep Snakes there if he wanted to leave. Why didn't he just.. leave?"

Hawk smiled, his gaze on his returned sergeant. "For all his eccentricities, Snake Eyes is first a army soldier. He thought he had orders to stay there, and he did."

H.D. nodded and reached to settle into one of the seats. "Well, I, for one, am glad he's coming back. We need him around."

Lifeline leaned in and pressed fingers against the neck before checking the bag of fluids. "His pulse is better. As long as the bleeding doesn't start again, he should be fine to get to the Pit. Then we can do a full work up on him, see what needs attention." He smiled as the weary hands can up to sign.

*I'm fine*

A quick pat. "No, you're all cut up, but you'll be fine once Doc gets you fixed up." Snake Eyes tilted his head back against the wall and his eyes closed. Lifeline jostled him. "Don't go to sleep. You've got a nasty head injury." The eyes drifted closed again and he was jostled again. "I mean it, you're not going to go to sleep.." He watched the hands move jerkily, but couldn't understand.

Lady Jaye smiled. "He's calling you random words. His version of cursing at you."

Lifeline grinned. "I guess he is feeling perkier. I like when my patients feel good enough to fight back."

Snake Eyes wound down and sat still for a moment. Then he began to sign slower.

*I'm sorry..." He paused and then looked at his commander. *Don't send me back. I'll be better, I'll follow all the rules and do whatever you say*

Hawk moved closer to look him in the face. "I never transferred you. It was a lie. You belong in the GI Joe team. I would never kick you out."

His sergeant looked confused. *You transferred me, you wanted me discharged, I did too many things wrong*

Hawk shook his head. "Forsyth lied to you. I never transferred you, I didn't want you to leave. It was a lie, do you understand?" He watched dawning comprehension.

Suddenly Snake Eyes struggled to get up, signing with choppy motions while Lifeline hung on to the harness buckle to prevent him from getting loose.

*Wild Bill, take me back, kill them, they lied, turn around* He got too angry to sign coherently.

Lifeline looked confused. "What is he saying? I'm not following any of it.."

Hawk grinned, despite his own anger, it was a little amusing to watch the mute ninja attempting to sign while irate. "He's basically sputtering in anger.. with his hands."

The medic nodded and took hold of the flailing hands, speaking to calm him down. Finally Snake Eyes settled down and Lifeline could release his hands. "I need to get a commlink to the Pit, make sure Doc is ready for us when we get there." He stood and grabbed a upper strap. "Keep an eye on him." He moved up to the cockpit.

Lady Jaye watched the commando's eyes begin to sag shut as the adrenalin began to wear off again. "Hey.. don't pass out on us. You gotta stay awake.."

Wild Bill's voice came over the radio. "Pit coming up in twenty minutes, head's up back there."

She nodded. "See? Twenty minutes.. you can stay alert that long." Despite their coaxing, Snake Eyes began to fade minute by minute, his last reserves draining away.

Lifeline added glucose to the i.v. bag, trying to give him a boost, but he'd already slipped into the unresponsive stare. "How long Wild Bill?" The pilot reported back that they were within ten minutes. "Get us down fast."

"Will do, partner. I'll set us next to the motorpool in two shakes, it'll twist a few tails, but as soon as you're off, I'll lift and move her to the air strip. Wrinkle a few hides in the Chaplain's offices.. but nothing I can't clear up come morning." True to his word, the lanky pilot set the big chopper down within feet of the Pit entrance. "You take care of our wayward ninja."

There was a quick scramble, with Lifeline and Lady Jaye attempting briefly to convince Snake Eyes that a stretcher was the best idea, and him coming alert enough to try walking out. Stepping onto the concrete floor, he made it only a few feet before he simply toppled over, being scooped up onto the waiting gurney by Hawk and Heavy Duty. Doc immediately took over, taking fresh vital signs, and listening to Lifeline's run down of injuries and issues. Ignoring the others, he and his intern disappeared quickly down the hallway as soon as the hydraulic lift stopped.

Hawk stood still for a moment and let out a huge sigh. "I guess I'd better go fill everyone in."

Lady Jaye put a hand on one broad shoulder. "You'd probably do more good in the medical wing in case he starts acting up. He'll listen to you. I can give the basics to the team, at least let them know he's back."

Hawk nodded at her. "Just tell them it was a power play by another general, and make sure they understand that Snake Eyes did NOT request a transfer." She nodded back crisply and moved off towards the messhall and rec rooms.

Within half an hour the Pit was ablaze with indignant Joes, all angry that anyone would use one of their teammates as a pawn. Scarlett and the apprentice ninjas had immediately rushed to the hospital section. Everyone else had to settle for what they could pry out of Heavy Duty and Lady Jaye. Once Wild Bill came down, they tried to question him, disappointed when he knew little more than they did.

* * * *

End Chapter. Well, now at least he's back at the Pit finally! Now what?


	15. Chapter 15

Scarlett Reunion

Chap 14.5(Yes, another unplanned half chapter)

Scarlett stood with her arms folded, trying to present her normal outward cool exterior, but she was seething with worry and anxiety. The medics kept saying everything would be fine.. that Snake Eyes was stable and being treated.

"Scarlett?" Her name being called made her whip around to confront Lifeline. His red jumpsuit didn't conceal the splashes and smears of blood on it. "Easy.. he's doing good."

She grabbed at one of the harness straps and dragged him closer. "I want to see him."

Lifeline put his hand gently on her arm. "I know, soon. Doc is cleaning him up, and taking a Xray of his head.. all those things. He's shocky, and he lost a lot of blood. Unless they uncover something I missed, he's got a nasty head wound from being shot, and a really deep stab in his thigh. Otherwise, it's just cuts that need cleaned and stitched, nothing serious for Snake Eyes.. "

She took a deep breath. "What aren't you telling me? I'm not in the mood.."

Now Lifeline looked a little frustrated with her. "I'm sorry I'm not telling you what you want to hear. I don't know everything, I just spent half of the ride back trying to keep a friend from bleeding out all over the chopper, and and the other half keeping him from jumping out. He hasn't said how he got the injuries, and until Doc is done treating him, you can't go back to see him. I can't even say if he'll be headed for surgery yet."

Scarlett hung her head, and then reached to hug him tightly in apology. "I know I know! I'm sorry! Of all people, I shouldn't take it out on you. I'm just.. "

Lifeline pushed her off him. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but I'm covered in blood here.." She brushed at herself a little. "I don't think I got any on you.. and well.. it won't be the first time you got his blood all over you." He looked at his fingers and lowered his voice. "I'm more worried about his mental state. It could be just confusion from the head wound though. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you though."

A harried looking nurse walked out and gave Lifeline a wave. He talked quietly a moment and then looked at Scarlett. "You can come on back, Hawk is back there and they're still stitching him up." They moved to the back, finally finding a treatment room full of people. Doc was looking at some Xrays to the side, while Hawk stood at the head of the gurney, talking quietly at the figure laying there. Scarlett moved closer and saw one of the interns busily putting in stitches in a deep cut on Snake Eye's upper arm.

Hawk glanced over at the nurse's head nod. "Scarlett... hey Snakes, look who's finally here." She scooted between the men to lean over at the bedside. "I told you they would bring her in for you."

Seeing him laid out being treated by medical personnel wasn't anything new for her, but it was always a little shocking, seeing his uncovered face in company of others. Right now, they'd gotten him stripped to his shorts, and had managed to hook him up to monitors. Even as she took in the sight of his still bloodied face, someone brought in a warmed blanket to drape over him. He looked so much more gaunt than before he'd left. She wondered what could have happened that he'd lost so much weight, and gotten so injured.

She tried to smile encouragingly, but her dear friend didn't seem to notice. His gaze was fixed somewhere beyond the room, and she leaned down to intersect his line of sight. "Hey.. it's Scarlett... " She saw his eyes suddenly search for hers and focus. His mouth opened, but as always he was silent. It was distressing to watch him struggle to lift his head and note that he had trouble freeing his arm from the intern. Her partner was never so weak and she had to make an effort to not show anything on her face. "Hang on.. hang on.. the doctors need that arm..."

He tugged his hand free again to try to make her name sign in the air. Blood trickled down his forearm from a nasty slice in the wrist, and the intern grabbed it back.

"Stop moving.. " He easily pinned the ninja's arm to the gurney and checked his needle. "Give me a minute to stitch, and then you can use this arm to talk with.." To sooth the upset man, she reached to smooth her hand over the rough blond hair. He stared at her, then suddenly flicked his gaze to Hawk. For a second, he tried to free his hand again, obviously frustrated with his inability to communicate.

Hawk shook his head. "It's alright, give them time to finish putting your arm back together first."

Doc leaned into his view. "Settle down.. it'll just be a minute and you can have the arm." He motioned to the general, and they moved off to the doorway to consult. While they talked, Scarlett tried to keep Snake Eye's attention. His eyes would slip away, and go unfocused for minutes at a time. When he could focus on her, he would shiver and she tried to tug the blanket over more of him without interfering with the intern stitching his cuts.

Doc was back and put a hand on the commando. "Snake Eyes, you still with us? Come on, don't drift off.." He coaxed until he got his attention. "Scarlett is talking to you, better pay attention.." Scarlett gave him a perplexed look, and he turned away slightly to explain in a quiet voice. "He's got a skull fracture, if he loses consciousness, he could slip into a coma. Just like a concussion, we can't let him go to sleep." He bent back over his patient. "Your leg is pretty nasty, I'm going to have to put in a drain. I'll numb it up for you, so you don't feel anything." He watched the blue eyes focus slowly on him. "I'm going to give you a lot of shots in your leg.. to make it go numb. Okay?"

Snake Eyes stared for another few seconds and then shook his head. Scarlett reached to stroke his head and he looked at her. After a moment he looked back at Doc with a sigh and nodded. Doc settled to his other side, gathering a tray of instruments to begin working on the deep ragged thigh wound. Snake Eyes kept his head turned away, although he'd never been squeamish about being wounded before.

The redheaded beauty smiled at his tired face. "I know.. you probably just want to sleep. But you gotta stay awake for a while longer. I'm so glad you're back, I was so upset when you were just gone without anyone knowing what was going on." The intern knotted the last bit of thread and patted the arm. Snake Eyes lifted it slowly, reaching out to his girlfriend's face. He barely touched her skin, stroking the backs of his fingers across her cheek. Scarlett took his fingers in her own and pressed her cheek more firmly against them. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I love you.." She watched the corner of his mouth twitched upwards, the scarred cheek twisting as he smiled. Then his eyes moved to Doc working on his leg as he stuck a needle in. The flinch made Doc mutter. Snake Eyes shifted his leg under the doctor's hands.

"Now.. hold still." A few more shots went in, with the ninja twitching once or twice. "It'll get numb.. then I can work on it. How did you get this stab wound?" Scarlett turned her gaze to Snake Eyes in time to see his eyes shift away and abruptly glaze over. Doc was involved with the wound, and she squeezed his fingers lightly.

When he didn't respond, she gave his hand a little shake. "Snake Eyes.. come on.. look at me." His eyes started to drift shut and she shook a little more urgently. "Snakes.. don't go to sleep.. come on..."

Hearing her concerned tone, Doc stood up and gave the ninja a hard knuckle rub on his sternum, uncomfortable enough to bring him around instantly. "Hey, stay awake here.." Although he still looked confused, at least the eyes stayed open. "There ya go.. stay alert here. I'm about to start working on your leg..." He settled down on the stool to begin.

Scarlett gave him a pat. "You'll be fine. Doc will get you all patched up. I bet you have some tales to tell. Why don't you tell me how you got shot?" Instead of answering, Snake Eyes looked away again. "Hey, come on.. stay awake.." He glanced at her. "Here, start at the beginning.. tell me what it was like with the other unit.."

His hand came up and signed with short motions. *I don't want to talk.* He looked past her, and she turned to see Hawk coming back in.

The general took a deep breath before he spoke. "Snake Eyes, it's good to have you back." He moved closer. "I want you to know, I didn't approve any of this. As far as I'm concerned, as long as GI Joe stands, you're part of it. And if I ever have any issue with anything you do, rest assured, I'll be talking directly to you." The ninja nodded at him. "I'm so very sorry you've had to go through this. It was nothing less than a power play by some very high ranking people trying to discredit and hurt the Joe program. If I'd had any inkling.."

Snake Eyes cut him off. *Not your fault. I should have left or refused orders.*

Hawk shook his head at that. "You wouldn't. You're career Army to the core, no matter what else you do. Especially once Forsyth had you convinced it was legitimate orders. Everything you did was under his command, it's on his head."

Snake Eyes now turned his face away, a hand coming up to cover it as he signed with the other. *My hand on the trigger.*

"You haven't told us what happened..." Their commanding officer reached to take his hand and squeezed it. "But that's up to you, you weren't under my command when it happened. If there's anything at all you need.. you let me know. Try to do what Doc tells you though." Receiving a noncommittal shrug as a reply, he gave Scarlett and Doc a nod and left, hurrying off with one of the aides that seemed to materialize in his vicinity at any time.

Doc let out a breath loudly. "Snake Eyes, I don't know how you managed this, but I think I have it done. You've got a surgical drain here, so don't mess with it. The knife severed a vein, and I tied that off. And..." He gave a quick overall check. "I think all that's left is the wound on your back. So roll up.. " Now on his side, Snake Eyes sighed heavily. "I know I know.. it takes forever to get all these stitched up, but if you wouldn't get stabbed and cut and shot, we wouldn't have these problems." Doc swabbed over the last serious cut, a long slice across the shoulderblade. "Take a few stitches to close this, but at least it's shallow."

Scarlett reached for his hand to slip hers into it. "Hey, I'd almost think you'd been having playtime with Storm Shadow, usually only he puts this many cuts into you." When he ignored her quip, she tilted her head down to look into his eyes. "Wait.. let me guess... I should see the other guy, right?" He pulled his hand away. "Hey, I was joking.. I'm sure you won.." When she tried to take his hand, he tucked it under himself, and twisted his face towards the bed. "Snakes, I was kidding.. come on.. I'm sorry, I was just worried while you were gone." His gaze was distant as he ignored her. "Look at me.. "

Without looking at her, he pulled one hand out to sign. *Go away. I don't want to talk to you.* When she started to protest, he continued. *I'm not mad, I need time.* With an effort he met her eyes, and she saw the pain within them. *I'm here, I'm not going away, give me space.* She nodded, and got up to leave. She started to turn away and saw him make one last sign against his chest. *I love you*. She made the sign back, rubbing it against her chest and smiling wanly.

"If you... if you need me.. " He nodded and closed his eyes. Scarlett walked out of the room before her eyes filled up. Wiping at them, she was suddenly offered a tissue and turned to see Lifeline standing there. "Thanks.. I... umm.." She sniffed a little and wiped her eyes carefully.

The medic shook his head. "Scarlett... don't take anything he's saying too hard.. he's hurt and confused. Remember what he's been through, and he's been shot in the head.. he's still shocky."

Scarlett nodded at his words. "I know.. I'm just relieved he's back, and that he's not hurt worse. I know he hates to have people swarming him, he hates to be injured, hates to be in medical, hates having his face exposed.. and there I am, bugging him and getting in his face..." She took a deeper breath.

Lifeline gave a lopsided smile. "..and he wants to sleep, and you've been told to keep him awake, but he's still your boyfriend, and he just said to go away when you want to be clingy."

She rolled her eyes and gave a little groan. "I wouldn't say clingy... but.. " She gave a final wipe at her nose. "You're right. And yeah, it hurts a little, but.. I know he doesn't mean to be hurtful."

Lifeline nodded. "Just give him some time. He's been through a lot. I don't mean just the injuries he's got either."

Scarlett nodded. "I know.. I heard a little about the chopper ride. And he looks horrible, like he hasn't eaten properly or anything."

"Yes, he's down at least twenty pounds or more. From the few things he said, he's had a really rough time of it. Just try to give him some space and time to get readjusted in his head." Lifeline turned as Doc emerged.

The older man gave him a nod towards the treatment room. "He's all yours, you can get him settled in the back room. I want him checked every fifteen, keep him alert, and run a MRI in four hours to check against the first one for bleeding or swelling in his brain. Keep the heart monitor hooked up, and double check the remote feed to the nurse's station."

Lifeline nodded but looked a little confused. "I'm on it, are you sure we need him on a heart monitor? He's stable."

The doctor gave a smug smile. "Remote monitoring. It'll be impossible for him to slip out if he's wired to a heart alarm. I'm planning ahead for him to decide he doesn't need to stay in medical, and try to slip out without waiting to be medically released."

Scarlett sighed. "Well, that'll really please him. I better go.. if he asks for me.. "

Lifeline nodded and gripped her hand for a second. "I'll find you, don't worry. We'll take good care of him. We always do."

Doc's sarcastic tone sounded as she left the medical bay behind. "Whether he likes it or not..."

* * * *

Well, there's the reunion... I actually did not write this until today. Due to so many folks mentioning wanting to see it, i thought Scarlett deserved her own chapter. It's probably not the reunion she(or you) were expecting. Why doesn't he open up to her? There's more to come.. don't want to end the story without anyone finding out what actually happened on that ill-fated mission. Right now, the only people who know what REALLY happened are Snake Eyes and me.

As always, thank you for reading. A super special thank you goes out to my reviewers! Those that take the time to really tell me what they think and feel, those are the real driving force behind my writing and posting. Without the feedback, this chapter wouldn't have been written, since I glossed over Scarlett reuniting with her favorite ninja in the original writing!

I hope you're enjoying.


	16. Chapter 16

Chap 15

A full day had passed. Life in the Pit was mostly back to normal. The medical ward was quiet, with only a few Joes being treated, usually for minor things. Doc sighed and finished his report on Gung Ho's sliced open shoulder. He'd tried to talk to BeachHead about using razor wire in the obstacle courses. He'd have to try involving Duke, perhaps he could convince the PT instructor that actually cutting up the trainees was a 'bad thing'. His gaze shifted to the quiet back ward. Time for his twice-daily argument. Rising to his feet, he walked back, scooping up his most ornery patient's clipboard. Truth be told, he hadn't gotten much fuss out of the ninja this trip. That alone was worrisome, since he was used to Snake Eyes attempting to slip out at the earliest opportunity, medically released or not. The fact was, this time he'd been mostly just sleeping, and been nearly totally unresponsive to any of his visitors.

"How are we doing?" He made his voice cheerful, and peered at the sleepy figure under the covers. "Here to give you a quick check. Then you can go back to ignoring us again." The scarred face blinked at him, then turned away. He stepped up to the bedside anyway. "Psyche-Out will be coming back to see you in just a bit. You'll have to talk to him some time, you know." A slight headshake answered him. "He's pretty persistent."

Finally the hands rose to gesture. *There is nothing to talk about.*

Doc smiled gamely. "Nothing? Then it should be easy." He reached and touched the side of his patient's head, turning it to check the nasty stitched wound. "How is your head? Any severe pains?"

*Hurts a lot, someone shot me in the head, it's supposed to hurt*

Doc ignored both the snide words and the face he made when he probed gently around the stitches. "Well, perhaps you should avoid getting shot in the head. Who shot you?" He watched the expression close down, the expressive hands stilled. "Do you know what kind of weapon it was?" No response. "Snake Eyes.. look at me." He gently tilted the horribly marred face towards him. "Look at me... tell me what happened." The pained eyes looked into his for only a second before going strangely blank. "Don't... " He sighed. "It's alright. I guess you just need to rest." The doctor checked the ugly thigh wound, making sure the surgical drain was still well-placed. When he exited, the ninja was still staring at the wall, and he wondered how long it would take. Lifeline met him in the hallway. "He's doing okay, and that drain is still good. I'm hopeful it won't become infected, but at least the fluid is draining properly."

The medic nodded at him, then looked back towards the room. "How is he otherwise?" At the doctor's solemn headshake, he grimaced. "I don't know what happened to our ninja friend, but.." He paused and then looked downward. "As much as he has been through in his life, it's astounding that something would send him to the edge."

Scarlett's voice made them turn. "Snakes will be fine. Whatever happened.. " She ducked her head and then pushed past them. "I've got to go see him." Doc and Lifeline watched her go.

Lifeline shook his head and sighed. "She's under too much stress, I recommended that she go to Psyche-Out to get some counciling too. Doubt she'll do it.."

The doctor gazed at him solemnly. "The Joe team is renowned for their toughness, and also for being darned close-mouthed about everything. None of them are likely to go voluntarily and spill their innermost feelings to a psychologist. That's why I made it a medical order, only able to be bypassed by General Hawk himself." Lifeline shook his head but smiled a little bit. "It's the only way to be sure they aren't self-destructing mentally. Better to have the resident expert in head shrinking prevent issues, rather than having folks have breakdowns."

"Too true." The medic patted him on the arm. "I'll buy lunch.. I heard Roadblock has put himself on cooking duty."

"Thanks.. but you'll have to do delivery for me, I know that ninja. The instant we're both gone, he'll disappear too." The medic sighed and nodded. "I think I'm going to move to the office down the hall, just temporarily so I'm closer to his room. If I'm right outside, maybe... just maybe he'll stay put." He turned to Lifeline. "Since you're headed to the messhall, ask Roadblock to make a note that Snake Eyes needs a high calorie diet for a while. He's lost an unhealthy amount of weight. I keep pushing him to eat, and he basically refuses. Oh... he says yes, but then he pushes the food around and ignores it."

Lifeline fiddled with his watch. "He keeps telling me he's not hungry, and I keep bringing him something to eat anyway. I've never seen him this thin, but it shouldn't take long to put the weight back on."

Doc agreed with him but still looked worried. "He's not even talking to Scarlett or Stalker. Half the time I think he's pretending to sleep to avoid people."

Lifeline shrugged. "If you think it might help, I've been trying to talk to him too. Usually he's good about telling me things.. god knows why..."

Doc shook a finger at him. "You know why he trusts you. You don't go gossiping about all the things you get told. Now go on and get some food in you. Don't forget to bring my dinner back though." Lifeline left, while Doc gathered his files to look over in the nearby office. He could hear Scarlett's voice as she had a one-sided conversation. He listened a moment, and noted that she didn't seem to be getting responses either. Perhaps Psyche-Out would do better.

* * * *

Snake Eyes opened up his eyes, looking at the ceiling lights and wondering how long it had been. He kept losing time, seeming to almost trance out, and then returning mentally to try not to think about anything. This time he blinked and twisted to look at the heart monitor next to the bed. It wasn't really needed.. Doc normally didn't have extraneous monitors hooked up to patients... however, if Snake Eyes pulled free of the wires, a alarm would sound, thus alerting the clever doctor to his absence. Of course, people came in so often, he would have had little chance to escape in the first place. Scarlett and Stalker came and went, Lifeline came by supposedly to check him, but mainly to talk. Several of the other Joes had 'dropped by', but been turned away by Doc. He knew that his patient would not want too many visitors, especially since he spent 90% of the time without his mask, and sleeping.

Roadblock had dropped by with chicken broth. Although it was very good, he had only sipped at a little of it. Doc came in and lectured him about needing to eat more, and had pointed out how much weight he'd lost. Snake Eyes drank the soup, and signed to the doctor. *See, can I leave now?* and gotten the 'hands thrown in the air' tirade about his ungratefulness. He wasn't allowed to leave and thus had settled back in to sleep and ignore them.

"Ahh, so you awaken." The tall figure in the doorway made Snake Eyes twitch slightly. Psyche-Out stepped in and moved carefully to the chair beside his bed. "How are you today? Doc said your wounds are healing quickly." The wary ninja peered at him. "Come on, what can it hurt to tell me 'I'm fine'?" Snake Eyes lifted a shoulder just a little. "Well.. I guess a shrug is a step towards communicating." He suddenly lifted his hands to gesture ASL while he spoke. "Would you be more comfortable if I signed.. rather than spoke?"

Snake Eyes snorted loudly at that, and signed in reply. "I'm mute, not deaf, don't be stupid." He regretted signing anything as the head shrink smiled.

He shifted forward in his chair. "Okay, I won't sign then. How about I just talk?" The ninja turned his face away, uncomfortable with the near-stranger seeing him at all. "You know, I'm not a bad guy. I just want to help." He could tell the patient was listening to him. "Doc thinks you should give me a shot.." No reaction. "Even Lifeline said it would be good.. he did say I wouldn't have much luck." Was there a tiny shift in the jaw? A reaction? "Lifeline seems out of place in this group.. a pacifist probably doesn't fit in so well." Wrong direction, as the ninja turned his head further away to look at the wall instead. He gamely pulled out his trump card. "You realize that General Hawk recruited me himself.." Definite reaction as he noted Snake Eyes almost turned to look at him before he caught himself. "He's a great man, and when he explained how much this team needed someone, and that he thought I would be the one to fit in, I was pretty flattered." Certain that he was being watched with at least peripheral vision, he continued chatting. Eventually he began to get small nods or headshakes as replies. Slowly he began to insert comments he'd been told about Snake Eyes, things that were harmless, especially anything he'd heard or read that might be humorous.

"Everyone has asked me particularly how you were.. and said they were very glad you were back in the Pit." He hazarded that nudge towards the current issues. Snake Eyes shifted himself slightly more upright, grimacing in pain when he moved his thigh. "Are you okay? Need a hand or a pillow?" He received a headshake. "Okay. Were you really convinced that General Hawk had transferred you?" He watched the hesitation, but knowing that the sergeant hadn't talked about that to anyone gave him a slight advantage. Most people wanted to share their righteous anger.

Snake Eyes lifted his hands and gestured gracefully with small movements. *I haven't been picture perfect, and Hawk could do a favor to the team and get rid of the rogue member*

"Well, I know he doesn't think of you as a rogue or a liability." A little shrug, and he glimpsed the slight insecurity. "He considers you to be one of the biggest assets to the team. And I know your teammates all appreciate your unique talents."

Now he got a reaction. *I don't do anything really well, except..." He watched the ninja pause. "I kill people. I don't like to kill people though, I like to train people.." Another pause, and one hand went up to cover his face some. *Not many want to know me* He stopped, and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Well, I know Stalker speaks very highly of you.. as well as many of the rest. Duke says you're the best man to send in."

Now Snake Eyes got animated as he signed in reply. *Stalker and I go back a long time, Duke is just..* He stopped suddenly. *Duke is a good commander*

Psyche-Out pressed. "Oh, Duke is good enough, and all, but he doesn't connect with anyone in particular. Don't worry, nothing you tell me is going to get back to anyone." Snake Eyes shrugged and reached to fiddle with the sensors stuck to his chest. "How about Scarlett? Do you ever worry that she'll take over all the training duties?" He saw the shoulders and chest shake and heave and was startled until he realized the deadly ninja was laughing. The ugly grimace was due to the scarred face, but the little huffs of expelled breath clued him in. "What? What did I say that's so funny?"

Snake Eyes began to sign with jerky movements as his laughter slowed finally. *I train the advanced classes, I evaluate each trainee before I assign them into a level. Scarlett is very skilled in hand-to-hand but I am still training her in much of the levels I know* He suddenly blushed, the unmarred spots of his face turning pink. *I'm sorry, I sound... pretentious*

Psyche-Out shook his head. "No, I've already heard of your prowess. But I know that Scarlett is a well liked member of the team, and she's pretty respected for her fighting skills too." He had found the key to unlock the close-mouthed man's speech.

*She is extremely skilled. Scarlett learned martial arts in her family growing up. I always want her to take beginners that need to learn basics.*

The medical professional nodded and watched the ninja expound on his female teammate's many good qualities. He had a sudden flash of insight, that perhaps these two might be a bit 'more' than teammates. It would be interesting to see if the attraction was returned. Tilting his clipboard discreetly, he noted that the visitor most often logged in was Scarlett, who was admitted back into the room more often than even Stalker. He wondered what her attraction would be to the reclusive scarred mute. He was slated for a few interviews with her, so perhaps he would manage to delve into that as well. Snake Eyes finally ran down and stopped, suddenly looking a little embarrassed.

"Well, Scarlett is a remarkable individual. She's also quite charming in person, and I know she is well-liked by everyone." Having gotten the injured commando to open up, he tried to steer him to talking about the actual issue. "Did you miss her the most when you were reassigned?"

Snake Eyes responded with choppy signs, showing his agitation. *I wasn't reassigned, Hawk said he did not transfer me*

"No, no, I meant.. when you were.. gone. I didn't mean that Hawk had actually reassigned you." Outwardly mollified, he got a moderate response. "Apparently she and one of your two apprentices were the main protesters at your absence. Did you think about them a lot? Did you have time to wish you were back here at the Pit? Or did you fit in there well enough?"

*It was terrible there. I missed.. everyone. Maybe not Falcon* The ninja managed to make the name sign derisive somehow. *The men at that base were not nice, I was glad to get out, I only wish I had left before they sent me out on missions*

Taking the neat opportunity as it presented, Pysche-Out nodded. "Yes, from what little I read, it wasn't a good place to get assigned to. I'll bet the missions were pretty bad too. What was the worst thing about them?" He saw the haunted look return to the blue eyes.

*Killing.. I did not want... but..* The expressive hands stilled.

Waiting for a response, Psyche-Out finally shifted his weight. "You killed someone? On the mission?" He cursed to himself mentally as the eyes shifted away and then closed. One hand came up and signed *tired* and then tugged the sheet up to cover most of the drawn face. "Snake Eyes.. you were under orders, it wasn't your fault." He got no response though and sighed heavily. He felt he'd been so close. "Okay.. thanks for talking to me, I really enjoyed it. You get some rest, I'm sorry I kept you awake so long." He gathered his things and left, stopping in his office to begin scribbling down notes as fast as he could, trying to remember all of the conversation.

* * * *

Scarlett had just left after a mostly futile visit. Snake Eyes really wanted her to stay, but he couldn't answer her questions. He didn't want to admit to anyone what he'd done. If they knew... his heart fluttered slightly, if they even guessed, he'd be locked up, probably in one of those rubber rooms.

His mind seemed to whisper to him.. _you could just escape, if they lock you up, you're a ninja, they can't keep you somewhere you don't want to be... _

He shifted in the bed, uneasy. If he ran away, he'd be AWOL, and a fugitive, for the rest of his life most likely.. _would that be so bad? you like being alone.. _

He shook his head. Having arguments with himself was a stupid insane thing to be doing. He needed to get out of here before he really did crack up.. _what makes you think you're sane? sane people don't do what you did.. _

If he'd had a voice, he would have whimpered. Despite trying to keep the memories hidden, images flashed in front of him.. _brown loose hair flying around the angry face... slack features as she lay limp and broken on the floor, eyes open and staring.. muzzle flash.. pain blooming in his head.. blackness moving in... _

He sat up suddenly, holding his hands to his ears, as if he could shut off the memories by not hearing. Shaking his head, he started running through the mantras to begin meditation. Repeating them over and over, he finally calmed and settled to stillness again. Then he opened reddened eyes to look around the small room. Doc was careful to never leave anything useful in here, especially not clothing. His reasoning was that there was no way that Snake Eyes would be able to leave without something to wear, and of course he'd stationed himself only two doors down the hall, to be better able to keep him closed in. The room was at the end of the medical ward, supposedly so that he would have privacy, but in reality, there was no way to exit. The only way normal people would be able to leave would be to go down the hallway, directly by the office Doc sat in, the nurse's station, and the exam rooms.

Snake Eyes smiled to himself. One day they would remember, he was most definitively NOT 'normal people'. Scooting to the edge of the bed, he reached to twist the heart monitor on it's i.v. pole around. The volume control for the thing was right there, and he twisted it all the way to 'Lo' and then turned it back around. Laying back down flat, he waited for a couple minutes to see if anyone came in response to the light beeping noise being stilled. He really didn't think it was audible outside his room, and from the lack of response, it wasn't. The alarm that would go off at the nurse's station was another matter. Nothing to do for that... once he removed the wires, it would sound off, just as if he'd gone flat-lined.

Next up was the i.v. line itself. Doc was still giving him antibiotics he supposed, but the line disconnected easily from the inserted i.v. The fluid began to drip onto the floor and he ignored it. Slipping out of the bed, he looked up at the ceiling vent. Once he pulled the leads off his chest, he would only have seconds before the alert was sounded and Doc rushed in. But then... that's why he was called a Master ninja... he smiled grimly. Time to leave....


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

Sorry that I had no author's notes on the last chapter! I suck! I had uploaded the document about 4 times, and needed to delete and re-edit it, so when I finally uploaded and published, THEN remembered I hadn't added author's notes.. well.. I said "Screw it" and left it bare!

So, our stubborn ninja wants to escape.. yet he's injured, and Doc has him hemmed in. Will he make it out? Dude... he's a ninja.

Thank you for reading! And here's the story!

* * * *

Doc was sitting, peacefully writing up a study on treating wounds that had been exposed to toxins in swampwater. He vaguely heard the loud shrill from the nurse's station, but it took a few seconds for him to register what it meant. His on-duty nurse yelled for him on her way to the back room and he jumped up to dash in, knowing there had not been time for the ninja to get out, and certain that there was no way he'd gone down the hallway.

"Snake Eyes..." He looked around the empty room. The heart monitor was flashing, the i.v. line dripped on the floor, and the bedsheets were mussed up. Walking over, he placed a hand on the bed, feeling the slight residual warmth from the recently vacated body. Looking around, he saw the small table shoved over next to the wall near the door. Suddenly he looked upward and began to curse under his breath. "The ceiling.. I wasn't watching the ceiling!"

He ran out, looking upwards. His patient was skilled enough, could have climbed up and moved along the ceiling to escape, right over their heads. "We've got a escaped patient people.. alert the base, low priority." The nurses gave him a questioning look. "Well, it's not like it's unexpected that he got out.. " Lifeline ran up, carrying a covered dish. "Ahh.. dinner. At least I can eat, while everyone tries to find him." He took the dish and Lifeline looked at him questioningly. "I'll stay here, if anyone spots him, I need to be able to move directly to where he's collapsed, not be at the far end of the base, futilely looking for a sneaky naked annoyed ninja who doesn't want to be found."

Lifeline nodded at him, and then sighed. "Well, I lost the betting pool.. I had four days." The doctor gave him a disbelieving stare. "Well.. everything sooner was taken, and I hoped by you moving to the office right outside his room, you might stymie any early escapes. How did he get out?"

Doc sat at the nurse's station and began to check out his food. "Pretty sure he clung to the ceiling this time, crawled out over our heads. He's a lot faster than I thought possible, but then.. he's tough. I just hope he doesn't pull too many stitches or open up the thigh wound too badly. If he pulls that drain out, I'm going to put it back in without anesthetic!" Taking a few bites of his dinner, he waved at the medic. "Go on, you might as well go take off searching too. Damned ninjas make the worst patients ever. I think I'll write a study up on how difficult it is to make a ninja follow a doctor's orders." He was still muttering when Lifeline dashed off.

* * * *

Duke cursed to himself as he walked down the hallway to the nearly deserted rec room. "Alright, who isn't busy?" A few faces looked at him. "Snake Eyes just disappeared out of the medical wards. As usual, Doc wants him back. So if you're not doing anything important, start looking for him. If you find him, even a glimpse, notify everyone on the PA system, then try to convince him to go back. Don't try to do anything stupid like tackle him and force him. I don't need any more men laid up."

Ripcord, Lady Jaye, Flint and Heavy Duty all stood and decided who would go which direction. Duke walked over to Shipwreck to stare at him.

The sailor looked up from his paper. "What? Oh.. you know if he don't wanna be found.. no one.. oh okay, okay, I'll go look for sneaky escaped ninja."

Duke got irritated. "Look, I know you and Snakes aren't buddies.. but the man has a nasty head injury, he could easily overexert himself and pass out. I know he hates to stay in the hospital wing, but he could hurt himself."

Chagrined, Shipwreck got to his feet. "It's not like that Top. I like Snakes as much as the next guy. But when he doesn't want to be found.. well.. you just can't find the guy. You know that. I'll start looking though.. what's he wearing?"

Duke snorted laughter before he could stop himself. "According to Doc, he's running around in his birthday suit."

"Oh great.. an angry naked ninja is hiding somewhere in the Pit. Just the thing to make my evening a little brighter.. and I'm supposed to WANT to find him?"

Duke sighed and pointed at the door. "Just go look. I'm going to check his room, and then the armory and work my way up from there."

Shipwreck disappeared out the door and walked along, trying to think of the most unlikely place the missing commando would go to hide. Maybe the motorpool, the only way up to it would be the hydraulic lifts... you'd think there would be no way to slip by, but then.. they were looking for a ninja. A naked ninja. He made a face. Just what he'd always wanted to do.

* * * *

Where did he go? How did he escape while injured? Will they find him? Will Doc kill him once he's back?

Here's something fun! Tell me how YOU think he's escaping... the chapter is already written, and I won't change it, but if you guess right(there's a legit way he did it, and it's explained) I will think about writing some fluff and PMing it to anyone who manages to guess it correctly! How's that for incentive?


	18. Chapter 18

Chap 17

Well, now we find out.. and thank you for all the reviews, and also Congrats to Karama9 !! Honorable mention to AtlantisGirl12, and Loki22 who did come darned close! My beta was the only other one to come up with the correct answer, so I'm pleased that I managed to surprise my readers!

Thank you guys for continuing to read, and many bows of gratitude to those that review.

On to the story....

Back in the deserted room, a hand reached out from under the bed and lifted the sheet draping onto the floor. Amused bloodshot blue eyes peered around and then Snake Eyes slipped himself out carefully. He climbed up onto the bed and reached up to the air vent, taking his time to carefully pull himself up. He could have wrapped up in the sheet, but it would just hang on things in the air vent, and tearing it would be too noisy, since he knew Doc was still just down the hallway. It took him some time, but he eventually got inside, and pulled the vent cover closed behind him. Injured as he was, there was no way possible that he'd have been able to get up into the shaft before people were in his room in response to the heart monitor alarm. So he'd merely misdirected them by moving the small table against the wall, making them look to the ceiling, instead of on the floor. Now that they were all looking for him, he could actually leave his room.

Pain shot through his leg as he braced against the inside of the vent. His back slid against one side, while he scooted upwards with hands and feet on the opposite wall. Not fast, not slow, but definitely out of sight. He felt some of the more minor cuts loosing their stitches as he strained to keep himself braced. Instead of trying to find somewhere inside the Pit to hide away from people, he headed up, eventually crawling out of a roof vent. Normally opening the vent on the roof would have set off another alarm, but he'd been one of the people installing the alarm systems. He knew how to turn it off. He reset it once he was out, so the thing wouldn't sound an alert because it was turned off.

Standing on the roof, he looked up at the clear sky, the moonlight turning everything silver. The slight breeze brought chilly air swirling around him, but he'd been taught to ignore outdoor temperatures lower than this. Even nude and exposed to the wind on the roof, he could easily ignore it. Wincing at his thigh wound which had torn slightly, Snake Eyes settled himself in lotus position on a metal square box at the edge of the tall roof. Other than the airstrip control tower, this was the highest point on base, the roof of the hanger that they used as a motorpool and also the space that the big hydraulic lifts operated to move personnel and equipment from the Pit to the surface. He left his eyes drift half shut and forced his body to relax. The position he sat in pulled at the torn thigh, but he ignored it. He put himself in a place away from the worry, the memories, the pain.. meditating under the moon's unconcerned face.

* * * *

Lifeline met up with Scarlett in the messhall. "Nothing?" She shook her head and looked worried. "Hey, I'm certain he's fine. He just got tired of people bugging him, you know how he gets."

"I know.. but.." She took a deeper breath. "He's hurt, and.. and he hasn't been acting like Snake Eyes, I just don't think he should be hiding somewhere without anyone knowing where he is." Lifeline gave her a squeeze on her shoulder. "I know.. he's a big tough ninja, but.." She stopped herself. "I know he's fine, but we need to get him somewhere safe."

"The Pit is pretty safe. Even if he'd hiding, he's still in the Pit, and there's no where safer than down in here. We'll find him, or he'll turn up when he's gotten enough of being alone." They walked out, going to the gyms to check there.

* * * *

Shipwreck walked out into the dark motorpool. Peering around with a flashlight, he jumped when a shadow seemed to move towards him. The light revealed a coverall, hanging up on the edge of one of the deuce-and-a-half trucks.

"Geez... " He lifted his voice to call out. "Snake Eyes? Hey.. come on.. olly olly oxen free!" Walking out the giant doors, he looked around, then thought to shine the light on the dirt at his feet. There were hundreds of tracks, and he wasn't Spirit to be able to tell one from another, but none looked barefoot at least. "Where else could you go? I'd bet you wanted out, not just out of the sickbay, but out of the Pit entirely. But if you didn't come out here..." He looked upwards at the tall side of the building. "Maybe you did go up.. and just kept going up.."

He went back inside, taking the lift down to go around to the roof access. That corridor took him through the laundry area, and he scooped up a pair of pants and tossed them over his shoulder. No one liked to run around with no pants on.

A few hundred steps later, he stopped to get his breath back. Sure, he'd kept in shape, otherwise BeachHead would have beaten his butt out in PT training. But that was a lot of steps to climb all at once. He checked the roof access door, it was still locked securely. "All this way.. for nothin." He decided he might as well check out on the roof anyway. He'd never seen the view. Opening the door up, he immediately spotted his quarry, sitting at the edge of the roof, seeming to just be thinking. He stepped back and punched the PA box installed at the door.

"This is Shipwreck, I found him." It took a moment before a tinny reply came back. He thought it was Duke.

"_What? Where is he?"_

"He's fine, I'll bring him back to Doc. Out." He ignored the tiny squawk and went back outside. "Hey Snakes." The head turned towards him and he was glad for the darkness. The moonlight revealed enough of the maimed face for him. "It's okay.. don't go rushing off or nothin." When the figure didn't show any signs of moving, he held up his hands in a shrug. "If I was locked up in sickbay, I'd wanna get out for some air too." He walked over to the edge and looked down. "Uh... that's a long drop.. you're not.. you know.. gonna.. do anything rash or nothin? Right?" Snake Eyes shook his head. "Okay.. just had to ask, I don't wanna explain to Scarlett that I let her boyfriend go splat."

He watched the graceful gestures as the mute spoke to him slowly. *I wanted to be alone. Too many people* He nodded. *They want me to talk to them and stay there and it was too much*

"I get ya. Sometimes a guy just has to go be off by himself." He pointedly didn't look at his teammate. "You know.. I brought ya some pants. I figure no one wants to go running around naked. It'd make folks think you were crazy."

Snake Eyes took the loose drawstring pants and pulled them on. "Not really sure why you'd be running around the roof naked, but I figure it's got to do with some mystical ninja spooky thing."

Snake Eyes laughed silently at him. *Doc took my clothes so I wouldn't run away.*

Shipwreck was just a little disappointed. "So there's no mystical reason? It's not to expose your soul to the moon's light, or nothin?" A headshake, although the ninja continued to pant-laugh. "Oh. Well that scuppers my theory then." He sat down on the edge of the roof so he could look at his teammate instead of the drop to the unforgiving ground. The commando shifted himself around to sit lotus style again, but facing mostly away to spare the sailor the sight of his brutalized face. "So... how're you doing? I'd have come visit.. but.."

*But we're not really friends. It's okay. I had more people coming to visit than I wanted to see*

Shipwreck shifted uneasily. "Well.. yeah, but we're friends. I mean.. I don't dislike ya or nothin. You're a good guy."

The face turned towards him a little. *We are friendly, but not friends. I don't have many close friends*

"You got Stalker.. and Scarlett, although I guess she's a bit more than just a 'friend', and Heavy Duty and Roadblock, and Breaker.." He stopped when Snake Eyes shook his head.

*I have a lot of good teammates, not many friends. I like everyone on the team.. maybe not Falcon.. but everyone else*

"Why not Falcon? He's not a bad guy." The face turned and looked at him, and he flinched at the cold gaze.

*He harasses Jinx.*

Quickly he agreed. "Well, yeah, but I think that's his way of saying he likes her a lot." He heard a distinct snort. "Anyway, most of the team do like you. Geez.. I sound like a high school girl. 'gee timmy, laura really likes you, you know like-likes you'." He watched the dimly lit figure shake his head in amusement. "Well anyway. Everyone was concerned, and there's a bunch of folks looking for you. But I let them know I found you, but not where you were. So you got time, if you just want to sit." Snake Eyes gestured his thanks. "No problem. I figure a guy just needs some time to work through things in his head. I mean, I guess you'd got some issues with things that happened while you was gone." He paused. "Unless it's that you didn't really want to come back to GI Joe.."

Snake Eyes shook his head vigorously. *I never wanted to leave. I belong here.*

"Okay then. So it's something that happened while you were gone." He watched the head droop. "Whatever it was, it's over now right? You're back, and it's over and done with."

For the first time he remembered, the sailor saw Snake Eyes struggle to sign words. It was as if he wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but had a need to say it anyway.

*It.... I did things.. I wouldn't have done things if... they told me Hawk didn't want me anymore. They sent me.. * A deep sigh, and the ninja suddenly threw his hands up. *I can't talk about it. It's... * He paused briefly. *It's too horrible. I don't want to talk about it*

Shipwreck nodded as the figure scooted to face away again. "Hey it's alright, I've had to do things I don't want to remember either. I think a lot of us have, it's part of being in the service. You don't have to like orders.. but you still follow them." He noted that the ninja was simply looking into the sky. "Snakes.. you still listening?" After a second, there was a slight nod. "Okay.. cause I know I blabber on a lot. I just.. well I wanted to make sure you knew, we all care. We missed you and we're glad you made it back. So no matter what you had to do, we're all just glad you came back to the team. Alright?" He waited for nearly a minute of silence.

Snake Eyes suddenly twisted around to face him directly. *How do you know? You don't know what I did, you don't know.. there are things that are unforgivable..* He let his hands drop into his lap.

"Maybe you should look from the outside? If one of us had done whatever you did, and they came to you.. and told you exactly what happened... what would you think?" He watched his teammate become thoughtful. "Maybe.. just maybe you're being too hard on yourself." Suddenly the ninja got up to pace around, beginning to gesture wildly. Shipwreck tried to calm him. "Hey.. it's alright, don't get upset. I can't understand you."

* * * *

Abrupt end chapter:

I know, awkward spot to stop, but I had to break somewhere. Seriously, it's as if I just cut the page in half at a random spot, and I apologize.

Were you surprised at his escape plan? Surprised at who found him? Personally, Shipwreck seems woefully underused, and I hope you like my characterization of him.

As always, thank you for continuing to read.


	19. Chapter 19

Chap 18

This is a really long chapter, and I'm sorry it starts at such an odd place, the chapter before just ends, then starts here. There's some hints of what happened... grim, remember the original warning???

Lowering his hands, Snake Eyes stood at the edge of the roof, unaware of how nervous he was making the sailor. *I can't. I can't think about it.* Images swirled through his mind and he closed his eyes, desperately trying to push them away.

_..blood spurting in the dim lighting of a kitchen.. the familiar sickening feeling of a person becoming a body.. the yell from behind him that heralded a sudden pain in his back as he was kicked away.. flash of light on blade.. twisting away.. _

He pressed hands into his eyes. 'no.. not thinking about it.. stop..' A hand closed around his wrist and pulled him sideways. He jerked hard, but the grip didn't release, but dragged him a few more steps.

"Easy.. how about you don't stand on the edge." The sailor turned him loose. "I told you, I'm not about to have to tell Scarlett how I let you go splat." He sighed at the bedraggled man. "How about we go back inside? Had enough outside time?"

Snake Eyes gave in, suddenly too tired to care. The mental battles were beginning to wear him down. Each time it got harder to stop the images. He turned his mind away.

ShipWreck gave him the slightest of nudges towards the door. "Hey, I'll even ask Doc to let you out for walkies off and on. And it won't be long before you're back up to snuff and he'll let you leave without siccing the whole Joe team on ya." They started down the stairs, but Snake Eyes stopped halfway down, leaning on the wall. "You okay? You need to rest?"

The ninja turned away, and gestured. *I don't have my mask*

"Well, so you don't. But when you left, you didn't have pants. I don't think anyone will care, really."

*You haven't seen my face in the light*

"No, but it's late, there won't be many people around. No one is gonna have an issue, and if they do, well.. I'll kick their butt for ya, how's that?"

The idea of the sailor with lesser fighting skills defending him was too amusing for Snake Eyes to not give in and continue. He ducked his head away when they met anyone, but luckily there really weren't many people in the halls. Shipwreck warned people away with sharp gestures, continuing to walk slightly behind the ninja down the hallways. That worked until Lifeline met up with them in a crosspath.

The medic stopped suddenly. "Snake Eyes! Shipwreck! Geez, we've been looking everywhere." The sailor motioned frantically for him to hush and move. "What Shipwreck?" Snake Eyes turned to look at him, and the sailor turned his waving into a shrug, swallowing at the full sight of his face. Lifeline rescued him by speaking up again. "Uhh.. yeah.. Doc is waiting.. I told him not to yell too much though."

Snake Eyes walked alongside the medic, trying not to show a limp as his leg began to protest. *He will yell. Doc always yells at me.*

The medic tilted his head, raising his eyebrows. "Well, if you wouldn't run away while he's trying to treat you, he might not yell as much. You could just stay in your bed, get healed up, and then he wouldn't have reason to yell."

Snake Eyes gave a rarely seen smile. *So you're saying I'll get yelled at for the foreseeable future then?*

Lifeline raised his hands in surrender. "Okay.. as long as you know that's the reaction you'll get, then you're gonna just have to get yelled at." He grabbed an arm as his patient stumbled. "Are you okay? You shouldn't be walking.."

*I walked all the way here, I can walk to the medical ward too.* He earned a reproving sigh. *I'm a ninja, we don't let people carry us* He lifted his chin, defying people to stare at his scars.

"You'll end up lying in the hallway one day, Snakes." The sailor shook his head. "Too proud to ask for help, or even accept it when it's offered. Don't be so stubborn."

*I'm a ninja, we're supposed to be stubborn.*

Lifeline held up a finger. "Kamakura isn't so bad about getting medical help." A snort. "What? He's a ninja, and he's not even close to being as hardheaded as you are."

*Kamakura is a very good apprentice, but he is too eager to obey. It's part of his training I'm attempting to change.* The face tilted to look at them both. *He'll be as stubborn as I am one day. I'll be so proud.*

Lifeline muttered under his breath about pain-in-the-butt patients. But when the commando stumbled again, he took hold of an arm. "Shut up and let me help you. I swear, I'll just start carrying a big game tranquilizer pistol if you don't start accepting help. Maybe once you wake up all bleary-eyed and hung-over a few times, you'll stop being so stubborn."

Shipwreck laughed a little bit. "I think it would be the radio tracking collar and the ear tags that made him more angry when he wakes up. I'm not sure I'd want to be on the continental United States when he woke up, actually, now that I think about it." He shivered when the glare turned on him. "Yes, shutting up now. I told you Snakes, I just blabber on.."

They reached the medical ward, and were immediately set upon by Duke, Scarlett and Doc. Shooed back to the room, Snake Eyes had his wires reattached, with dire warnings from Doc the entire time about what would happen if he tried to leave again. Duke had blanched at the sight of his naked face and elected to stay out front with Shipwreck. He had started to berate the sailor for not giving the location immediately, but been stopped when Lifeline unexpectedly took up for him, pointing out that he had gone and found the missing patient. Duke finally gave up and left, saying that he would make sure everyone knew Snake Eyes had been located and retrieved.

Shipwreck heard the shouting get louder as apparently Snake Eyes began to argue back. He made a quick excuse and left, and Lifeline moved back to the room to stand to one side, hoping to moderate the argument. He gave Scarlett a discreet nudge.

"It's really odd to listen to them fighting. Only one person is shouting."

Scarlett turned to hide her smile. "If you notice, Snakes is 'shouting' just as much. It's all in how widely he makes the ASL signs."

At this point, Snake Eyes was seated on the side of the bed, with Doc standing within feet of him. The doctor was getting more agitated as his patient continued to argue. "Look, I don't care what training you've had! The training does NOT make you stop bleeding! It won't stop your brain from swelling up and killing you! You could have passed out at any point, and fallen and DIED!"

The ninja scowled, a sight that would sicken most people. *I did not die. I don't want to sit in here uselessly, while a head shrink tries to pick my brain and you coddle me to death!* He put a hand up to the side of his head. *I lived through being shot, again. I don't need to sit in a useless room being stared at by useless medical people just to satisfy their own egos!*

Lifeline's eyebrows went up and he stepped back slightly, moving Scarlett back as well. "Oh.. this is not going well."

The doctor clenched his fists. "This 'useless medical person' saved your worthless life, and has put a ton of work into keeping you alive, and you never appreciate a single thing! I should just let you bleed out and then drag you in to see if I can pump you full of motor oil, since you insist on acting like your body is a infallible machine!"

*If I thought I was a machine, I'd go to the motorpool, at least they don't lock up the trucks when they run fine*

"I wouldn't have to lock you up if you'd be sensible!"

*I am being sensible, I can walk just fine, and I don't need someone poking around in my head.*

Lifeline finally stepped between them. "You both need to calm down." He was glared at by both, and wondered why he'd stuck his neck out. "I think maybe everyone needs to take some time to think, and stop the yelling." He turned to Snake Eyes. "Both of you."

Doc turned on his heel and headed out of the room. "I'm going to go cool off by doing my useless job taking care of patients that give a flip about getting better!" His crisp steps faded as he went down the hallway.

Lifeline turned on Snake Eyes. "Why? Why would you treat him like that?" The ninja's temper flared. "Don't you dare start at me! Doc is trying to heal you up, so you can run off and get injured all over again! I'm sorry that you have to stay here until you are better, but that's the way it works! So you SIT DOWN!" His raised voice stunned Snake Eyes so badly he sat on the bed. Lifeline pushed his glasses up on his nose and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I yelled."

Looking completely chagrined, Snakes hesitantly signed at him. *It's okay. I..* He shook his head. *I just want to.. I want to stay in my room, to be like it was..*

He stood up and gestured around the room. *All I could think of when Hawk came and got me was that I was going... * Suddenly he turned to Scarlett. *I was going home. And instead I'm locked into a medical bay, and people want me to lie here, and be in pain, and to talk to them about the horrible things I've done, and then they will really lock me up!*

His agitated signing became worse, and he paced faster. *If they know, they will lock me away and I will have to escape and run and run..* Scarlett reached out and he stepped out of reach, shaking his head. *Don't.. you'll hate me.. you'll turn your back again, but you won't be sorry..* He limped backwards again as she tried to touch his arm. *Don't.. you don't know.. please..*

Lifeline soothed at him. "Don't get worked up. Come sit down, before you strain the leg.." He tried smiling gently at the worked up commando. His breathing was quickened and he was getting extremely agitated. "It'll all be okay.." His gentle touch made him jump backwards and then stumble. "Easy..."

Scarlett hated to see her friend so upset. "Snake Eyes, I wouldn't hate you." He shook his head then pressed hands over his ears. She'd never seen him do that. "Snakes.. are you okay?" He shook his head again and she moved to his side, but stopped before she touched him. "What can I do to help?" He was still not looking at her but took one hand away to sign for her to leave. "I want to help you.."

Now he finally turned to look at her, and her breath caught at the despair in his face.

*You can't, please please just leave.* The plea made her back up to the door.

Lifeline stepped over and moved him to the bed to sit down. She turned and left, and Snake Eyes let the medic finish hooking up the sensors. The heart monitor began it's soft noises.

Snake Eyes listened to the tiny bleeps, and suddenly thought of how they represented his life. How fast had his last victim's heart been beating when he'd made it stop forever? The younger the person, the faster the heart rate, right? He started to breathe faster. How fast was that smaller heart beating when he'd stilled it? Would it have sped up just before the end?

Lifeline continued to talk to him in soothing tones, watching the heartrate begin to race frantically, and realizing that his patient was slipping into a anxiety attack. "Snake Eyes, calm down.. look at me.. what's wrong? Whatever happened.. we can help.." He reached to take him by the shoulders and was knocked backwards without warning. Sliding on the floor, he shouted for help, watching the glazed eyes search sightlessly. He didn't know what he was seeing, but from the expression, it had to be horrifying. Ignoring the wires that snatched free, the ninja staggered sideways, and knocked a instrument table flying. The scarred face grimaced and he kept putting his hands over his ears.

Doc ran in, holding several syringes in one hand. "What's going on?"

Lifeline had gotten himself back upright. "I think he's having a mental breakdown.. he was just sitting, and I hooked up the leads.. and suddenly he just went berserk."

The physician looked at him with concern. "Are you okay?" He got a nod in reply. "We need to sedate him. If he really goes nuts, he could hurt a lot of folks." He paused for a second, watching Snake Eyes open his mouth and shake his head. "He's screaming... go get Hawk.. I paged him, get him here now.. I don't know if I can get the drugs into him if he's not cooperating."

Lifeline scooted out and ran down the hallway, and Doc raised a hand up, trying to get the commando's attention. He didn't seem to look at anything outside his own mind, and continued the eerie silent screaming. "Snake Eyes.. stop.. look at me.. it's okay.. just calm down.." He watched the trembling in the limbs and wondered if he would pass out or go psychotic. Turning to the door, he yelled. "Page Psyche-Out too!" He heard an acknowledgment. "Now, Snake Eyes... we've known each other too long for this.." He smiled and kept his voice calm, holding out his hand as if to a wild animal. "Come and sit down.. it'll be alright.."

Suddenly the eyes actually focused on him. Saturated with madness, he could still see the person within. Rocking back and forth with uncertainty, Snake Eyes struggled to make his mind blank again. The images in his head were consuming him bit by bit.

"That's right.. look at me.. I can help. Come on.. calm down.." The head shook side to side. "No? Don't you trust me? Haven't I always helped you out?"

Hawk appeared in the doorway, with Lifeline standing just inside. "What's going on?" Snake Eyes focused on him. "Snake Eyes.. let Doc help you.. it'll be fine." The eyes unfocused then came back to see him.

*Not okay, I killed them all.*

Hawk nodded. "But we'll work it out. It wasn't your fault. You had orders, and good soldiers follow orders. You're a good man, we'll work it out. Let Doc help you."

Lifeline stepped forward slowly. "Here.. you trust me right? You know I wouldn't hurt you." Snake Eyes tilted his head around to look at the medic. His calm voice continued. "I would never hurt anyone, remember? I'm the useless noncombatant. You remember everyone calling me that? Do you remember when you helped me?" Slowly the ninja nodded. "That's right, because you helped me learn all the techniques I know about how to deflect aggression away from me, because you were the only person who wanted to help me instead of writing me off, right?" Now more focus came into being and he got another nod. "So, give me your arm.." He reached behind him without looking towards Doc who pulled the cap off one syringe and placed it into the hand. Lifeline stepped a little closer, smiling now calmly. "Right now, you need help, and because you helped me, I should help you. It's all about teammates and friends helping each other, right?"

Snake Eyes lifted his hands, looking at him. *I knocked you down*

The medic nodded. "Oh that's alright, I know you didn't mean to. I'm okay. Give me your arm.. " Everyone held their breath as the ninja actually stepped forward and offered up his arm trustingly. He even watched as the medic injected the drugs into his cannula. "This will help calm you.." Lifeline watched him wobble a little. "You better come sit down.. right over here..." Getting him to the bed and seated, he took a second syringe from Doc who carefully reached to get the wire leads and hand them over too. While Lifeline injected the second dose, the doctor reset the machine. "Turn the sound off, I think the beeping might have set him off the first time." Bending down, he lifted his patient's legs up. "Lie down.. you'll be really sleepy."

Feeling his heart's pounding begin to slow, the confused man looked at him. *Sorry I'm a monster. You can't help me.*

The older doctor's ebony face crinkled into a smile. "But we'll keep trying anyway, so lie still, and try to let the drugs work.. you'll sleep a while.." The look of fear passed over his patient's face as the sedation began to work. "When you wake up, it'll seem better." He saw one hand making the name sign for Hawk over and over. "General, he wants you."

Hawk stepped over and looked at his first recruit. "Hey, what can I do?" He watched as the mute half-conscious man fumbled to shape the signs.

*When I'm asleep..." He paused briefly. *You can kill me before I wake up.. be safer..* Hawk felt his jaw drop, looking up into the pained blue eyes he had so rarely seen. They were already glazing over, and the hands stilled.

Doc put a hand on his arm. "Don't.. don't pay attention. It was probably a combination of the anxiety attack and the drugs.. he probably won't even remember this when he wakes up."

Hawk nodded swallowing hard. "It's just that, I've never seen him like this. I've seen him get moody and upset, but never just lose it like this. I was worried we'd have to shoot him, and then I had to worry about if we COULD shoot him."

Doc shook his head. "I'd prefer it if you'd let me finish fixing my patients before you put any more holes in him." He watched the breathing begin to quicken then suddenly slow to a deep even rhythm. "That's better..." Lifeline helped to get the limp body settled into the bed. "Lifeline, that was well done, it's good he trusts you so much, I didn't think we would be able to reach him.. and I didn't want to try tackling him." He took a deep breath. "Start up the antibiotics. He'll be out for hours before that wears off. When he wakes up, he'll be angry, but right now, he won't have a stroke. I'll take a angry live patient over a dead content one any day." Lifeline agreed, even as he wondered how deeply the mental wounding had gone.

Hawk excused himself, asking for them to give any updates as they were available. Doc walked out behind him, leaving the gentle medic to finish up.

Lifeline finally pulled the blanket up, thinking with a touch of whimsy that not many medics would ever find themselves tucking in a ninja for the night. He leaned over and watched the flickering eyelids as his patient entered REM sleep. "What happened to you Snake Eyes.. and why won't you let us in?"

* * * *

End chapter:

Again, sorry for the awkward break, but I needed to divide it somewhere. Again, I use Lifeline, because he's just a great character, and between the fact that he is the go-to medic in the field, and his pacifist beliefs, I really think he would be one of the most trusted men on the GI Joe team for them. How can you not trust someone, when you already know they'll be the guy running out unarmed into a firefight to drag you back to safety and save your life?

And Shipwreck, I didn't go to make him dislike Snake Eyes at all. He's just not one of his buddies. I wanted someone who wasn't attached to the ninja, to make sure that Snake Eyes wouldn't discount his words or opinions. He has no vested interest in making Snakes feel better. I like Shipwreck as a character overall, and again, he's underused.

I hope that everyone enjoys, and as always... thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

Chap 19

Drugged to sleep, how will our disturbed ninja react upon waking? Will he ever open up and admit what really happened? Thank you for reading!

Snake Eyes twisted his head slightly, cracking open groggy itchy eyes. He tried blinking several times hoping to clear his eyes if not his brain. He did so hate sleeping under a drug's influence. Closing the abused eyes again, he began running recent events through his mind, skirting around the twisted images that tormented him from the sidelines still. The remnants of the drugs made everything seem hazy, and he sighed. At least he knew that Hawk hadn't taken him up on the offer to kill him in his sleep. It would have been the easiest and least dangerous way of negating the threat he represented to the Joe team.

At this point, either he was an immoral killer, who would slaughter anyone without qualm... or he was, at the least, a mentally unstable ninja capable of going through the ranks of troops in the Pit like a scythe through ripe grain. If only Hawk had taken the offer, and killed him in his sleep.. but Hawk was no monster, to murder a sleeping soldier. He took a deeper breath, tired of lying there thinking. He'd lain around sleeping too long and would become headachey and grumpy if he didn't stir himself. When he tried to move his hand, he felt a wrist restraint tighten, and froze momentarily. A few tugs told him that both arms were tied down by the standard hospital restraints and he opened his eyes to look in disbelief.

Spotting the expected light-duty straps around his wrists, he was almost insulted. He'd escaped from Cobra's highest security interrogation chamber.. while being tortured... and someone thought he'd be restrained by these??

"Snake Eyes?" He turned to see a sleepy Lifeline getting up from the chair in the corner of his small room. "Hey.. hang on.." To the ninja's surprise, he stepped over and began to undo the pitiful straps. "We weren't tying you up, I was just worried you'd wake up and thrash and fall out of bed. Didn't want you to hurt yourself. With your recent luck, you'd land on your head and go into a coma."

Mollified by the explanation, he snorted and gestured with his newly freed hands. *This is true.* He shifted himself upright, noting that he was once again without clothing. *Can't I have pants?* Lifeline gave him a suspicious look. *I'm tired...* He drew the sign out long for emphasis. *..of being kept locked up naked, at least give me clothes, and I want my mask* He looked away, bringing a hand up to shield his face, even from Lifeline. *People like Psyche-Out don't need to be looking at me.*

The medic thought for a moment. "You'll just have to ask Doc, you know I can't go against his orders. After your little escapade yesterday, I'm not sure he'll be in a forgiving frame of mind." The commando shrugged. "He'll be along shortly. I'll go see if breakfast is ready, if you're hungry." At his nod, he walked to the door then stopped. "You WILL be here when I come back.. right?" Snake Eyes hesitated but nodded. He did want breakfast, and he wasn't likely to get concessions if he snuck out again.

Waiting while laying in bed wasn't acceptable and he slid out to stretch carefully. Several of the worst cuts had pulled open the day before, but had been treated since, most likely while he was out. The ones he could see were mostly closed with steri-strips instead of stitches now. He lifted his arms carefully to stretch and was irritated when the wires attached to his chest pulled tight. After a second of glaring at them, he simply plucked them free and moved to the clear area to begin a slow stretching routine. He ignored the shouts and the rush of Doc and two fairly burly nurses as they burst in the door.

"What.... you're.. " He tilted his head to the right, and stretched his left limbs outward gracefully, rotating them as far as was comfortable before placing them on the floor, and lifting his right arm and leg, tilting his head and neck to the left. "Snake Eyes! Get back into bed!" He ignored Doc's orders, keeping his back to them as he slowly continued the exercise. "You guys can go back to work.." The nurses left hurriedly, and Doc apparently decided to wait him out, standing impatiently at the door as if he would block any attempted exits. After another five minutes he finished the slow simple kata, feeling loosened and more relaxed. Turning, he settled himself on the edge of the bed, and gathered the ends of the sensor wires up to offer to the doctor.

"Oh? Now you'll let me monitor you?" He shrugged overly casually. "Don't think I won't put them back on!" He reached another inch towards him with the wires. Doc pressed his lips together tightly and suddenly stepped up and took them, refastening them one by one, and tapping the various buttons to reset the machine. "You are undoubtedly the most stubborn, hard-headed, pain in my butt patient I'll ever have." Snake Eyes watched him silently and he finally put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. "So are you going to stay put? Or will there be another ninja hunt later today?"

Snake Eyes contemplated that a moment, gazing back into his doctor's eyes. *Maybe?*

That did it and Doc threw his hands up. "No! No! No there will not be another ninja hunt! That's the answer I want! If you make me do it, I'll ask for, and Hawk WILL give them to me! I'll ask Hawk to give me guards to put IN the room, staring at you twenty-four hours a day!" He felt himself frown in reply before he could blank his expression, and Doc nodded at him. "Yes, I'll do it. You will heal up, whether you want to or not."

*You cannot force me to stay here* Doc glared, and he continued, signing quickly. *I stay because I chose to stay.*

"If I have to, I will force you." Angry brown eyes stared into intense blue ones. "Don't make me... you will not like it."

Snake Eyes abruptly looked aside. *I'll stay here if you tell me to stay here.*

"Good. I want you to stay here, your head is not healed enough to be running around, or climbing, or doing exercises.."

Snake Eyes objected. *It was just a simple stretching kata* He held up his hands in query. *Isn't it good to be up and around after injury? It wasn't stressful, it was just stretching.*

Doc nodded, conceding slightly. "Well... mild stretching is okay. But no strenuous exercise." Snake Eyes nodded agreeably. "If you behave a couple days, and the tests are favorable, you can start mild workouts again... but no sparring, and no obstacle courses, and absolutely no ninja climbing around buildings hiding from people. Got it?!"

Outwardly mollified, the ninja ducked his head and nodded. *Can I have clothing?*

Doc considered. "Do I have your word that you won't attempt to escape?" At the nodded reply, he looked up at the ceiling. "Then... against my better judgment, you can have clothing. I'll have the nurses bring you some."

*Lack of clothing didn't stop me yesterday anyway.*

Doc leveled a finger at him in warning. "Don't push your luck ninja-boy. You just don't push your luck." There was a hint of amusement in his eyes though, and he walked out, leaving the commando to sit and wait for both his breakfast and his clothing.

* * * *

Still enjoying it? Longer chapters are upcoming. Love having readers, adore having reviewers.


	21. Chapter 21

How long do you think that our restless ninja will stay cooped up? Will he eventually deal with his inner demons?

Much later in the day:

"Sensei, we have done all the katas, each day. Jinx and I have been sparring, and she had been showing me new sword techniques." Snake Eyes listened and nodded, looking at Jinx as she stood attentively. "I believe I have improved a great deal! When you are better I will be able to show you."

Suddenly annoyed with his inactivity, the ninja master stood up and walked to the door where he stopped. Forced inactivity gnawed at him. They'd allowed him to have clothing, which translated to pajama pants. He'd gotten Jinx to bring him real clothing, but been forbidden by Doc to get dressed. He'd already pulled the heart monitor wiring loose and not allowed it to be replaced. Pointing out that he'd given his word had made Doc back off, but it meant he only had the room itself to pad around in. Anyone could walk back and bother him, which was how he'd come to have both apprentices in here telling him about all the activity they could engage in, while he sat around. He wouldn't break his word though. He turned on Kamakura.

*Go get Doc* He paced around restlessly, ignoring Jinx's questions while he waited impatiently. When he finally arrived with the smiling apprentice, Snake Eyes turned to him. *I want to go out.*

"Out of the question." Doc folded his arms stubbornly and Snake Eyes thought quickly, what would he have to concede in order to get out.

*I only want to go for a walk. It's terrible in here.* He gestured around the small room. *I'm going mad. I need out. Just for a walk.* Doc shook his head. *Please? Just for an hour? It can't hurt to let me leave for an hour.*

Now he saw the doctor waffle slightly. "Well... I know you hate just sitting around, but.. your leg isn't healed.."

Snake Eyes gestured at the limb, flexing it to show. *It's fine. A walk would loosen it up.*

"I don't know, if I let you leave.. what says you'll come back?" Doc watched him solemnly promise to return. "I'm just picturing fifty things you'll no doubt get into the instant you're out of sight." Lifeline appeared unexpectedly. "Ahhh.. and the solution walks in." Doc reached to take the medic by the shoulder. "If you had someone with you, to keep an eye on you, then I'd feel better."

Snake Eyes hurriedly signed. *I would have have Jinx... and Kamakura*

Doc nodded at him. "And Lifeline." At the slightly distressed look, he smiled. "If you are only planning on a little walk to stretch your legs, then having Lifeline along shouldn't be a worry.. right?" Stymied, the ninja sighed and nodded. "That's settled. Lifeline, our wayward stubborn ninja is granted one hour's parole to go stretch his legs, and see something other than the medical ward."

The medic looked from one face to the other. "Okaaay. So I babysit him, while he gets to go out for a while."

The doctor lifted a finger. "For one hour. No obstacle courses, no sparring, no building climbing." He thought a second. "No weapons." He saw the ninja's face fall and nodded. "Have a nice walk." Doc strolled down the hallway to the front desk, whistling to himself cheerily.

Snake Eyes watched him leave, and signed with narrowed eyes. *He's a mean man.*

Lifeline shrugged and waved at the little pile of folded clothing. "You're using up your hour." That got him to hurry and change, pulling his usual mask on with haste. "Do you really need boots?"

His patient gave him a derisive snort. *Ninja's don't wear bedroom slippers.* That made the medic laugh. *I'm ready, let's go.* He walked out at a moderate pace, nodding amiably at Doc as he passed the desk.

"Fifty-five minutes."

Snake Eyes turned and gestured in protest. *The time doesn't start until I leave the medical wing* Doc never even looked up, marking another spot in his crossword puzzle.

"Fifty-four minutes..."

Lifeline watched the ninja stiffen but he chose to leave rather than argue the point. The two apprentices followed him, and Lifeline brought up the rear, rather bemused at his odd duty for the day. A few Joes saw Snake Eyes and gave him exuberant greetings, which he gestured a short sign or two in reply to. If they were disappointed, they didn't show it, and Lifeline wouldn't be surprised if they considered it nothing out of the ordinary as far as the resident ninja.

"Snakes!" This greeting wouldn't be ignored, as Stalker walked up and grasped his friend's arm and hand. "Dude, it's good to see you up. Feeling better?" He got a nod and an odd head tilt. "Well, you can't expect to rush off on a mission right out of the hospital." A shift of the commando's body and a lifted hand. "Oh no, you'll be right in no time." The medic watched the entire conversation proceed without a single ASL sign from Snake Eyes. "Doc did what?" Now a quick monologue on the part of Snake Eyes began, but the signs didn't quite always make sense, so Lifeline had a hard time following all of it. Jinx followed right behind, but didn't put in any comments. Kamakura dropped back a couple steps to walk beside Lifeline instead.

"Hi."

Lifeline looked at him. "Hi Kamakura." He paused, trying to think of something polite and friendly. "How are your studies going?"

The apprentice straightened. "It goes well. Jinx is helping me with my swords, and I have mastered the katas, so that our exercises go very quickly." He obviously struggled to think of something to ask the medic. "Ahh.... do you.. umm.. practice a fighting style?"

Lifeline gave him a smile. "I'm a non-combatant, and a pacifist. But I do practice Aikido." That seemed to set the ninja trainee back a little. "Snake Eyes helped teach me it, and although I'm no master, I still manage to progress a little every year."

The tall young man nodded then. "Sensei is a very good teacher." He lowered his head down closer to the medic's. "Will Sensei be okay?"

Giving a reassuring nod, he answered. "He should be fine, his injuries are healing."

"Good. Jinx says not to worry, but I do anyway. Soo..." He made a visible effort to think up something else to talk about. "Ahhh... is it hard? Not to fight?"

Lifeline hummed softly. "I don't know really. I don't like to fight, and so to me, fighting would be much harder than not fighting." That seemed to confuse the ninja. "To me, your life, training constantly to hit and hurt people would seem strange and horrifying."

"But... but it is the most rewarding thing, to learn more of the techniques and skills!" He softened his voice. "One day I will be better than Jinx. I'll make Master very proud of me."

Lifeline swore he saw Jinx tilt her head slightly as if she were listening so he cleared his throat. "I think both of you are very skilled." He suddenly noted that they were entering the gym. "Why are we going in here?" Snake Eyes looked at him, then around with mock surprise and shrugged. "No, no no... Doc said no. You're supposed to just go for a walk, not a workout."

Snake Eyes continued towards the mats, walking backwards while signing to the medic. *I'm only going to do some exercises.. really.. like.. stretches..* Lifeline sighed but stood at the edge watching with disapproval. The two apprentices happily arranged themselves on either side, and the trio began the first kata in synch. He had to admit that it was smooth and relaxing looking.

After a quarter of an hour, all three stopped with graceful moves. Snake Eyes turned to the medic and tapped his own wrist. He checked the time. "Twenty-five minutes." He watched the shoulders rise and fall in a sigh. "Sorry, but you promised." He got a nod in reply, and the ninja stepped off the mats and motioned for his apprentices to run through a practice bout.

Even knowing it was mere practice, and that neither young person was trying to harm the other, Lifeline winced repeatedly at the blows they landed. The blinding speed and attacks flowed so quickly, it was hard to keep track, and suddenly Kamakura landed on his back hard with an audible thump.

"Yield!" Jinx released him, and he came to his feet and bowed, as she returned the bow. Snake Eyes signed at them, something about Kamakura's defensive moves it seemed. They faced off again, and although Lifeline watched carefully, it all seemed a blur again, this time with Kamakura ending up wrestling with the smaller Jinx. Suddenly Snake Eyes clapped his hands sharply, and they broke apart to face him. He made quick precise signs, obviously annoyed at something they had done, or not done. A duo of "Yes Sensei" and they faced off again, streaming sweat now, and Kamakura was beginning to look tired.

He watched them fight again, kicking and dodging, and blocking and swinging, and he was simply glad that it was 'only' practice. Kamakura grabbed Jinx and threw her, slinging her towards the mats hard. Lifeline opened his mouth to cry out, but watched in disbelief as she twisted mid-air to land feet first, and reverse the throw, tossing the hapless young man to the mat and twisting an arm into the air brutally. He let out a cry of pain, and she twisted harder. Before Lifeline could protest, Snake Eyes was on the mat and yanked her away.

"He didn't yield!" Before she could protest further, he kicked out at her, making her defend herself. She hit the mats the same way, with her own arm twisted in the same hold. "Yaaahhhh..." She grimaced, and he held the arm pinned in place, and leaned around so she could see him clearly.

He signed with one hand. *Yield.* She opened her mouth and whined. He bent her slightly further. *Yield.* Instead, she let out another short cry. He released her abruptly and stepped back. *You do not hurt your partner in sparring. If I see you bully your apprentice brother again, I'll put you on suspension for a month.* He stepped backwards.

She climbed to her feet, obviously angry, pushing her hair off her face. "He's not at my level!" Snake Eyes tensed up, and she crouched, facing off with the more experienced fighter. He gave a beckoning motion. Before Lifeline could protest, they flew into motion.

If he'd thought the practice sparring was fast and vicious looking, it was nothing compared to the whirlwind that erupted on the mat. Kicks, blocks, punches, leaps, they all blurred until Jinx suddenly leapt forward and was met by a swinging kick that threw her backwards like a limp doll. Snake Eyes lunged after her, grabbing her up almost as she hit the padded floor. He signed frantically at her, apologizing and asking if she was okay.

"I'm fine sensei." Obviously confused, she struggled up. Snake Eyes knelt on the mat, clenching his fists. "Sensei, what's wrong?" He shook his head. "It wasn't that hard of a kick..."

Standing up, he pushed her away, walking off the mats limping badly. *Stop.*

Lifeline hurried up. "You hurt your leg..." He was waved off. "No, let me see how badly it's hurt. You weren't supposed to be sparring, Doc told you.."

Snake Eyes turned on him so fast he almost ran into the bigger ninja. *Leave me alone* The sharp gestures told him how angry the man was. *I killed her! Jinx...* He stopped and clenched fists over his eyes suddenly.

Jinx walked up and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Sensei, I'm fine, you didn't kick me that hard. Kamakura has hit me harder!" She tugged at his arm insistently, and he suddenly whirled and flung her away from him. She landed hard on the mat and rolled to her feet, obviously stunned by the unexpected attack.

*Stop* He pointed at her, then signed with choppy motions. *Stop belittling your brother. It is unworthy of a Arashikage.* The ninja suddenly pressed his hands over his eyes again, his breathing got fast and shallow as he fought mentally to keep control. At this point the gym was quiet, only murmurs of people as they watched the drama unfold. Lifeline started forward, and Snake Eyes stopped him with a hand up. *Stay away from me.*

"Look, just calm down, Snake Eyes. Jinx wasn't hurt. You just need to relax." Hoping it wasn't a huge mistake, he reached out to touch his arm. "Come on.. look at Jinx, she's tough."

Snake Eyes looked at his confused students. *Enough. Go.* He paused, then looked angry. *Go, be someone else's apprentices. I release you from your obligations.* He turned and limped out, with Lifeline going after him.

"Don't you think that's a little rash?" He trotted to catch up, and walked beside him.

"Yeah, Snakes.. " Stalker came up. "You're being a little harsh on the kids."

The angry commando swung a hand in a chopping motion. *They don't need to learn from me. Better off learning from a teacher who isn't...* He stopped.

Stalker leaned in. "Isn't what?" He got no answer. "Snakes.. you've been acting weirded out since you got back. Why don't you just tell us what's wrong? We can help you." He was ignored. Finally he stopped and let his friend walk away. Lifeline walked with him, all the way back to the medical wing, surprised when he went straight in to the back room without protest. Doc saw his body language and didn't comment.

The subdued man sat on the edge of the bed, looking defeated and upset. *you think Stalker is right*. Lifeline looked away, not wanting to set him off by arguing with him. *He is right. But I want them to leave, and telling them to leave will only make them argue with me. Releasing them means they can find a better teacher.*

Lifeline sat in the room's chair. This really was Psyche-Out's department. "I think that.. that they believe they've found the best teacher in you. I think that right now you're not thinking straight, and making a big decision like releasing them should wait a while." The ninja sighed. "You can always decide to let them go later. What does it hurt to let things sit for just a little while?"

Snake Eyes seemed to brood for a few minutes before he raised his hands to sign. *You don't think I'm insane.* He watched Lifeline shake his head. *You're wrong.* He suddenly turned away, and closing his eyes, pretended to be meditating.

Lifeline got up and went out to find Doc. The older man was seated, scribbling notes in someone's file. "How did the walk go, and what did he manage to do that was prohibited?" The medic filled him in. "Well... that's not as bad as it could have been physically. And mentally, well... at least he didn't lose it." He put down the pen and rubbed his eyes. "Psyche-Out is due in a few minutes for his daily session. He's getting frustrated too. I can't release Snake Eyes until his psyche evaluation is clean.. or at least clean enough to pass... so it's up to him as to when he will deal with things."

Lifeline sighed as he picked up the charts in his box. "I just hope it's soon. He's tearing himself apart, and I think he's trying to alienate everyone in the hope they'll leave him so he has the excuse. The only person he hasn't shoved away is Stalker, and I'm not so sure that he believes he's capable of convincing Stalker to leave him."

The Doc chuckled wryly. "Stalker and you. And I might count Scarlett, since she's still coming a couple times a day, despite the cold shoulder treatment he's given her. He might think he's fooling everyone, but he's not quite able to hurt her. The best he's been able to do is to ignore her. Scarlett is a little tougher than that." Lifeline agreed and their attention turned to the day's work.

* * * *

What are you thinking? Like? Dislike? Suggestions?


	22. Chapter 22

Thanks for all the AWESOME reviews! It really makes my day to see that people take the time to tell me what they think! And because of a review, I'll be writing a chapter showing what everyone else is thinking about him being back, and his currant state of mind. This will be the THIRD chapter written solely because a reviewing reader suggested it, so don't think for a single minute that YOU the reader do not influance MY writing! Thank you!!

Poor sad ninja. He's tried to get rid of everyone who tries to help him, with varying degrees of success. Snake Eyes probably won't ever realize that his core group of friends will just out-wait him, and out-stubborn him to stick by his side, no matter what. Of course, in the meantime, he's giving the Joe psychologist grey hairs...

Chap 21

Psyche-Out forbid himself to sigh, and instead put on a gentle smile. It was a facial expression that inspired trust, that made patients open up to him, it said 'let me help' and people believed that he could help them... except for this particular patient.

"Why don't you tell me something you'd like to talk about?" He kept the pleasant expression on his face as he sat back in the chair, outwardly relaxed and at ease. Snake Eyes was seated lotus style, almost visibly sulking.

The ninja barely hesitated before signing quickly. *I would like to talk about anything at all. Maybe you forgot again, I have no voice.* He looked away, looking just a little bit guilty.

The psychologist reduced his smile. "I didn't forget, it's an expression, and you are trying to make me feel sorry for you. Do you like when people pity you for your disability?" He watched the look of anger flash across his face. The commando was too used to wearing a mask, and occasionally gave away his feelings in his expression. He'd basically gotten around the mask by insinuating that the ninja needed to hide behind it in one of the first visits. Now it only took a gentle reminder for it to be removed. He was still subject to at least a couple bitter comments and reminders of how it was to spare him from having to look at the scars, and not due to Snake Eyes feeling insecure.. which pointed out his insecurities nicely. "Would you like to tell me, in sign, how you feel when people pity you?"

Now the silent ninja glared at him. *Don't you have other people to torment? Why do you spend your time in here bothering me?*

Knowing it would make him more angry, Psyche-Out shook his head. "No, I don't mind spending time with you. How about you tell me how you feel about how concerned your teammates are about you? Certainly they've been telling you how happy they are that you're back."

Now he saw the ruined face fall, and he looked away. *They don't know what I did, or they wouldn't be happy.*

Compared to the usual evasions, this was practically an invitation to ask, and Psyche-Out did. "What do you mean by that? They've served with you a long time. I'm sure they know you by now. What could change their opinions?" He waited patiently.

*If they knew...* The ninja stopped and thought for a moment. *They would know I'm a monster, that I should be locked up, away from people. Then... I would have to escape, and I would just run so they couldn't find me.* He paused again for so long that Psyche-Out nearly started to ask him something. *I don't want to run. I don't want to leave.* Now he did stop, and suddenly got up to pace. The pacing was never a good sign. Usually it meant he was getting worked up.

The doctor leaned forward, trying to sound sincere enough to convince his patient. "Why do you think they would want to lock you up? You had orders, and went and fulfilled the orders. You can't be held accountable for what your commanding officer ordered you to do. Your friends would understand that." He watched, seeing breathing rate climb and the movements go from silky grace to slightly jerky awkwardness. Body language alone told him more than the mute's signing.

Turning suddenly and stepping forward, Snake Eyes signed in a rush, as if trying to hurry the words out before he came to his senses. *He ordered me in to the house, he ordered me to kill the man, like the other men he ordered me to kill, but they said the house would be empty, and it wasn't and..* He stopped as if hit by a freeze ray. He swallowed hard. *I killed the man.. but...* Turning and beginning to pace around again, he clenched and unclenched his hands.

When he didn't continue, Psyche-Out spoke up softly. "You killed a man.. and..." He leaned forward. "What else? You can tell me, it's alright, I won't judge you, just.."

The commando turned on him so fast he was startled. *You'll tell Hawk, and Hawk will know, and Hawk will have to put me in prison, he'll look at me and know...* The signs slowed. *I don't want him to know... he thinks I'm a good man.*

"You are a good man. Hawk is a good judge of character, and you know he has a high opinion of you."

Suddenly the body language switched off and the ninja became diffident. *There's nothing to talk about. I just want everything to get back to normal and I can go back to work. Haven't I talked to you enough? It's been longer than normal.*

Sighing audibly in order to impress on his patient that he was well aware that more was going on, Psyche-Out got up. "Okay.. I get it. Session is over for this morning. Is there anything I can send in for you?"

Snake Eyes signed quickly. *Tell Doc I want to go back to work, and get out of here. It's stupid for me to stay here. My head is fine and my leg is better.*

"Okay, I'll tell him, but it won't make much of a difference. And even if he lets you out of the medical ward, he won't clear you for most of what you want to do." Snake Eyes shrugged. "Even if you do get released from here, you'll still be seeing me every day.. you realize that right?"

*I don't care. I'll come see you three times a day if I can get out of here.* The ninja actually seemed more frustrated and walked over to grab up his mask and pull it on, signifying that he really was done talking to the psychologist.

Gathering up his things, the equally frustrated doctor left, and went to Doc's office instead. The dark skinned officer looked up when he dropped the file in his deck and flopped into a chair.

"How did your daily prying session go this morning?" His good humored smile went unreturned.

Pushing the file to one side, Psyche-Out grunted. "I'd have more success talking to one of your potted plants. He won't open up. Today he repeated that everyone would think he's some sort of monster if he tells. He's so damned wrapped up in protecting whatever this shameful secret is, he's blocking everything and everyone. I wish he would just trust me. Oh.. " He leaned forward. "I'm supposed to relay to you how he wants out."

Doc smiled and fiddled with a ballpoint pen. "I'm considering letting him out. There's no real reason to keep him confined to the medical ward. He's already found so many loopholes in every restriction I've put on him, I might as well just let him go back to his own room." The doctor sighed. "First it was that he should be able to at least come out to the desk, since we couldn't 'hear' him signing from his doorway. Then it was that mild exercise was fine, so he started do katas in the hallways. When I point out that was hardly 'mild' exercise, he points out that it doesn't involve weapons. I've gone round and round with him. I might as well lay out specific restrictions, require him to check in once a day, and let him go on light duty."

The psychologist sighed heavily. "Well, there goes my leverage, he won't be as bored and talkative if he has other things to do." He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling. "How am I supposed to find out what's inside his head, when he won't talk? Most patients would be spilling their third grade crush to me by now. So far I've been able to drag out of him that he might like Scarlett 'more than most friends' and he semi-secretly likes fruitcake."

Doc looked at him sideways, obviously judging whether to say something. "You know.. I shouldn't... but.. you really should try to talk to Lifeline. See if he can help you out. I know he visits a lot, and talks to Snakes. Maybe he could clue you in a bit more on how to get inside our ninja's hard skulled head."

Getting to his feet and picking up his files again, the tired physician nodded. "It can't hurt. I'm already picking at the brains of anyone who might have inside knowledge. I'm off to my office, I have a meeting with Scarlett in fifteen minutes."

* * * *

Snake Eyes gazed in disbelief at the doctor. *I can go?*

Doc nodded. "You're off duty for a while yet. No sparring, and I know about that session with your apprentices, so no repeats of that. No weapons practice. I want you to check in here once a day. We'll start removing stitches in a few more days, but I want you to keep a close eye on the drain, make sure that it doesn't get infected."

Snake Eyes was already grabbing up the few items to stick into a bag and nodding. *Off duty, come back in one day.* Doc sighed, and shook his head. The ninja was out the door, limping down the hallway before he could say anything more.

Lifeline watched him leave, and looked over at Doc. "Ace will have the betting pool up as to how long before he ends up back in here..." Doc gazed at him for a moment somberly.

"Put me down for one week."

* * * *

End chap:

Now we see why poor Psyche-Out NEEDED that day off. And why ninjas are quickly becoming his own personal albotross. Next chapter will be to show the POV of a lot of the other Joes(as many as I feel like writing up). And yes!!! He'll finally get to interact with Scarlett and some of the other Joes. Hopefully the story starts to move along in the next few chapters to get to the wrapping up point sometime or other!


	23. Chapter 23

The ninja punched his code into his doorway and stepped inside. The room was small and cramped, but it had been his since they'd opened the Pit. When he'd been recruited and come here with General Hawk, the commanding officer had turned over one of the tiny single person rooms to him. Most people bunked in double rooms, or one of the barracks. Of course, he'd seen bigger closets, but at any rate, there was room for his desk, his bunk and floor enough to stretch in.

It was obvious that the room had been empty a while, but instead of being exactly how he'd left it, someone had been in taking the old laundry out, so there were folded clothes and a blanket stacked neatly on the bed. Whatever items had been scattered about when he left on his last mission with Breaker, were now put away or neatly arranged on his desk. Probably Scarlett, she had his code, although she never used it if he was at the Pit. Even when she was really angry at him, and he was refusing to open his door, she wouldn't use the code to force entry. She'd kick him in the leg later, but she respected the trust he'd given her.

His sword was up on the wall in it's holder and he took it down to check quickly. Replacing it, he took the time to put away items and muss the covers on his bed. Gathering up fresh clothing, he wandered down to the showers and cleaned up. Back to his room and he pulled off his mask and looked around again. Now.. he was bored already.

He pulled on his boots and mask again and left to head down to the armory. Bazooka was on duty there, and he spent the entire afternoon cleaning various rifles and pistols. Bazooka, while not the smartest Joe, was pleasant company, and didn't mind Snake Eyes not contributing to his one-sided conversation. The ninja listened with half an ear while he swabbed out the bore on Low-Light's favorite sniper rifle. While the Joe sniper normally cleaned his guns himself, he'd been sent out on back-to-back missions, and Snake Eyes was the only other person who was allowed to clean his weapons.

Bazooka laboriously finished filling out the forms for the rifles rack. "You know Snake Eyes..." The commando looked over at him. "I'm really glad you came back." He nodded at the gunner. "I like it when you help out when I'm on duty here."

Snake Eyes nodded and put down his cleaning rag to write a note. Bazooka, while willing, had never really learned sign language well enough to follow more than the simplest terms.

_"I am glad to be back. I missed my friends and I don't mind helping you in the armory."_

Bazooka read the note slowly. Then he grinned hugely at the ninja. "Good!" They spent about half an hour straightening up, before the gunner noticed him limping. "You're still hurt, you shouldn't be working yet." He narrowed his eyes when Snake Eyes gave him a dismissive wave. "No, you should see Doc, and have him fix your leg up."

The pad of paper came out of his sleeve pocket again.

"_Doc fixed it, it's just sore. I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow."_

Bazooka waved good-bye and Snake Eyes limped back up to the living quarters level. He checked the thigh wound which was still seeping and hurting. Wrapping new gauze around it, he put on long shorts and a tank top, with his cloth mask and goggles. Snatching up a towel, he headed down to the workout room.

While it wasn't crowded, there were several Joes using the room. Snake Eyes didn't show the limp as he moved in to one of the weight benches. Roadblock offered to spot for him, and he nodded as he adjusted the weights.

Roadblock watched him add weights and raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You gonna pop a bunch of those stitches open if you go overdoing it.." Snake Eyes rolled his eyes and pulled a little bit of weight back off, and made a show of spreading his fingers in query at the gunner/chef. "Hey, don't bug me if you wanna go making the Doc restitch all the spots." Suddenly aware that the workout clothing let people see several of his wounds, the ninja twisted and looked at some of the worst ones.

*I'm sure they'll hold* He laid back on the bench and gripped the bar over his head. He needed to flex his right arm a few times, stretching it to the side to loosen it before he made the first lift and pumped it upward in a ten-rep quickly. It made the stitched cuts on his shoulders pull. He thought about it, setting the barbell back onto the rests and then stretched his arm out and back a few times.

Roadblock bent over to speak quietly. "You okay? Don't strain anything, you got plenty of time to heal up first." Snake Eyes shook his head and reached back up to grip the bar and lift it. This time nothing seemed to tighten, and he was sweating by the time he set it back on the rests. The tall black man spotting for him grinned. "Good?" He nodded and sat up, stretching his arm and twisting to try to look at his shoulder. "Nothing bleeding, so it must be fine, right?" He gave another nod in reply and got up. Although he considered using a treadmill, he passed it by as his leg was still not healed enough for it. Working on some of the machines, he was asked by three other teammates if he was doing 'okay' and if he needed any help.

"Sensei!" He sighed, then turned to see Kamakura walking up. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better." His apprentice settled in to working a punching bag methodically. He ran through a series of punches and kicks, then repeated it over and over at speed. Snake Eyes tried not to feel annoyed that he himself couldn't work out fully due to his injuries. After half an hour, Clutch beckoned him to the intercom.

Stepping up, he hit the send button in a quick pattern, his personal code announcing he was listening. The intercom system was his bane. People always forgot he couldn't use it, so he'd begun tapping a sequence as a reply. Sooner or later people either caught on, or stopped using the intercom to try to contact him. Either solution worked for him. This time Doc's voice came through.

_"You missed your morning appointment, I expect to see you within ten minutes." _

He frowned and tapped the comm unit twice, and grabbed up his towel. Technically he didn't have time to shower or change, but he considered it anyway. Then he'd decided not to make the doctor more angry, and headed down to the medical wing.

Psyche-out greeted him when he arrived. "Good to see you. I note that you missed the appointment with me as well, so I thought I'd catch up with you when Doc is done." The psychologist waved towards his office down the hall. "Just come see me when you're finished with your check-up."

Now thoroughly annoyed, the ninja went back to Doc's office, giving a short wave at the nurse manning the front desk. "Snake Eyes.. you know the agreement was to come in every day.. "

He shrugged elaborately. *I was working out and lost track of time* Doc raised an eyebrow. *I stayed off the treadmill, see..* He lifted the leg of his shorts to display the pristine gauze bandage, then turned a little to point at his shoulder wound. *I didn't tear up anything.*

Doc nodded and got up to take a closer look. "Good.. you've been doing well. In fact, I discussed it with Psyche-Out, and I'm releasing you to light duty. I'm going to trust you to not overdo it. You still have to check in, and continue to meet with Psyche-Out, and I'm only clearing you for desk duty, and light maintenance, you can oversee training, but please.. no sparring yet. I'll remove the drain today.." He stopped. "Snake Eyes, you do need to talk to Psyche-Out.. even if to no one else.."

Snake Eyes shrugged at him again. Doc motioned him out, and they moved down to a treatment room. Removing the drain took only a few minutes, and bandage and tape and admonitions to keep it clean and dry were all applied liberally by the doctor. Finally dismissed, the commando took his bundle of dressings and ointments and slipped down the hallway to leave.

"Ahh good.." He winced slightly as Psyche-Out's voice sounded from the doorway he'd almost passed. "I knew you wouldn't forget our session again.." Turning, he looked at the psychologist's smile. "Come right on in."

He tried a last ditch excuse. *I should go shower first, sweaty.. * The smile widened and he was motioned into the office. Lowering his head, he walked in and sat down in a overly comfortable chair.

Psyche-Out picked up his folder and glanced through it for effect. "You've been doing wonderfully in your recovery. Have you had any more episodes?" Snake Eyes shook his head and looked down at his hands. "Are you having nightmares?" Another negative reply. "Anxiety? Anything?" When he only received head shakes as replies he leaned forward. "Trouble pooping?" That got the head to snap up in confusion. "Well, finally. I'm trying to help you, and you aren't even listening. You've been through a traumatic event, and there will be after-effects, and that's normal and to be expected. Unless you're honest with me, I can't help you to solve the problems, and it'll all build up until it's too much."

Now the ninja raised his hands to sign slowly. *I don't want to talk to you. I am fine, I only want people to leave me alone. I'm healing very quickly and Doc released me.*

Psyche-Out took a deeper breath. "Yes, light duty, and until you pass my psyche exam, you won't be assigned to anything more."

Snake Eyes stood up angrily and began to sign with choppy motions. *You can't blackmail me into talking to you.*

"Au contraire, I can indeed. I will not endanger a team or a mission by passing you to go, when I don't know that you won't have an episode during it. If you freeze up or go ballistic at the wrong moment, you could cause someone else to come to harm. Is that what you want?" Snake Eyes sat down abruptly and shook his head. "I don't want to force you to tell me things you'd rather remain private, but I cannot and will not clear you for missions, if you might not be stable yet."

Considering the grim words, Snake Eyes finally signed hesitantly. *There is nothing wrong. I was sent..* He stopped and stared at the wall, willing the images to stay away. Carefully making his mind blank, he was unaware that his signs became simple. *Mission kill done.. teammates hate.. no honor kill shoot..* He paused. *No one talked to me, only one..* He stopped and looked down at his hands. Psyche-Out had not seen him have such difficulty communicating before.

"You killed people on the missions.. and your teammates didn't like that?" He got a nod in reply, and watched the body language as the commando hunched his shoulders. The mask made reading facial expression impossible, but he wouldn't halt the dialog in order to convince him to remove it. "Was it necessary to kill the people on the mission?"

Snake Eyes nodded and signed. *The mission was to murder a man.*

Taken aback, Pysche-Out took a moment. "You mean you had no choice but to kill someone."

Now the ninja looked at him and signed slowly and clearly. *I was to murder a man, from hiding, with a rifle. The mission was to assassinate a man. I followed orders.* He waited patiently, obviously believing he would be lambasted for his actions.

"If... if your orders were to assassinate someone, then you can't be blamed for following orders.. didn't your teammates know you were supposed to... uh..." At Snake Eyes nod, he continued. "Then they were wrong to blame you." He was given a shrug. "Do you think that if the Joes knew you had to assassinate someone on orders that they wouldn't respect you any more?"

Snake Eyes shrugged then replied. *I had to do things, and I don't want people to think I'm...* He puffed out a breath. *I'm not..* Slumping forward, he finally finished. *They'll know I'm a bad person.*

Psyche-Out shook his head. "I think you're selling them short. Joes understand orders, and every one of them has had to do something they weren't comfortable with while under orders. I also think you're being too hard on yourself. You know how things work in the service. You get orders, you carry them out, and you let your commanding officers decide about the morals of them."

Heaving a sigh, Snake Eyes gave a shrug. He didn't particularly accept the words, but gave no sign that there was more contained in his story he wasn't telling. If the psychologist believed he was agonizing over killing the target, and over whether his friends would understand his role as a sniper/assassin, he might just let it go, and stop prying into his mind.

"I'm glad you opened up finally. Now we can have a dialog and I hope that between us, you can begin to really deal with the issue." Leaning forward, he hazarded a physical touch, giving the commando's arm a squeeze. He felt the man stiffen slightly, and turned loose quickly, giving no sign that he had noticed the reaction to a unwelcome familiarity. "Have you talked to Scarlett? Or Stalker? They are your friends, and I'm certain they would reassure you further that they wouldn't blame you. Besides.. weren't ninjas originally meant to be assassins?"

Snake Eyes tilted his head up, obviously rolling his eyes. *Yes, we're all filthy dishonorable assassins who murder anyone for money.* He abruptly got up and headed out the door. He stopped just slightly short of it. *Maybe you can do some real research on ninja clans before you insult us again.* With that parting shot, he exited, ignoring the attempted apology.

Halfway down the hallway, he glanced behind himself to see if the doctor was attempting to follow. Seeing an empty hall, he smiled smugly to himself and stepped off a bit more jauntily. He'd bet he could even skip a couple of day's worth of sessions with the psychologist before he had to go back and accept whatever proffered apologies would be forthcoming. The truth was.. ninjas did start out as assassins, and many of the clans still accepted mainly assassinations and murders as their work, with the rest of the common jobs being guarding people against assassinations... but the opportunity to be insulted and leave, right after his faux confession that didn't begin to touch on the real issues.. he couldn't pass it by.

Back at his room, he paused and checked the time. He could wait, and shower in relative privacy in the early hours of the morning. So instead of heading out, he pulled off his mask and settled to the floor in his shorts to meditate. He wasn't particularly supposed to be working on anything yet, and really, if he was as insulted as he was pretending to be, he would be sulking in his quarters anyway. He smiled to himself again, and closed his eyes to try to relax into a meditative state.

* * * *


	24. Chapter 24

Yes! Another half chapter! This was written to show some of what the other Joes are thinking, although I wanted to show their POV, and it turned instead into a series of interviews.

This chapter is directly attributed to the reviewers that asked for it! You wanted to know what the other Joe members were thinking about everything, and here's a small snippet of their thoughts on the returned Snake Eyes.

Any comments, reviews, thoughts, always welcome, and thank you for reading!

Chapter 22.5

Medical Ward:

Lifeline shook his head ruefully. "I don't know what I can tell you really, Psyche-Out. I mean.. Snake Eyes and I are friendly, but.. the man isn't exactly able to have long touching conversations with people." He hazarded a glance that told him he wasn't fooling the experienced psychologist. "I'm not sure how comfortable I am with you asking me to betray his confidence."

Psyche-Out shook his head. "I'm not asking to you betray anything. I'm just asking you for your studied opinion. I'm hitting a brick wall with him. You know there's something he's hiding, and it's obviously hurting him. I just want to get him to open up."

"You and the rest of his friends.." The medic muttered. Louder he replied. "Look, I want to help him too. But.. he's just a very private person. He has secrets and things he's never told anyone. No one even knows his real name.. even Stalker calls him nothing but Snake Eyes, and I'm not certain he even remembers what name he was born with anymore." He stood up and fidgeted a second, thinking. "The best advice I can give you is to be upfront with him. If you try to hedge around, or to play mind games to trick him into telling you something he doesn't want it.. not only will he just clam up completely, he'll be insulted too. Not many of the Joes seem to quite grasp that he's very intelligent. He might not be a computer whiz, and he doesn't talk, even in sign, all that much. I mean..." He paced across the room. "Sometimes he hangs out with some of the guys, but it's always... he's always separate.. you know? There's always this space that keeps him from just being 'one of the guys'. Whether it's the mask, the ninja training, his silence, or the fact that he could kill you on a whim without breaking a sweat... he's just incapable of fitting in totally."

Psyche-Out leaned forward, interested. "So, he's alienated from everyone? They shut him out?"

Now the medic shrugged. "No. Sort of? They don't close ranks against him.. it's like.. " He paused and thought it over. "They're really proud that he's part of the Joe team.. and they know they can count on him, and mostly they like him okay. But there's just always this distance, whether it's on his part or our part.. he doesn't fit in completely. But everyone seems to like him.. they just don't always.. umm.. understand him, I guess."

Psyche-Out nodded and got up. "I appreciate the time.. thanks, any insight could help."

* * * *

Messhall kitchen:

"Snakes is good people." Roadblock stepped past the psychologist. "'cuse me.. I need these eggs.."

Psyche-Out scooted sideways. "Sorry, I really don't want to interrupt you.."

"No problem, anything for a buddy. And let me tell you, Snakes would do anything for any of us, so if I can help.." The burly chef whisked eggs deftly. "I wish I could help him, he's just not himself. And I don't mean just that he's still healing, and needs to put a few pounds back on either. Our ninja always bounces back fast from injuries. But this time.. someone's played some nasty headgame on him.. far as I can see, anyway."

Now the doctor nodded. "I think so too, but he sure is being close-mouthed about it."

Roadblock laughed loudly at him. "Geez, for a head shrink you ain't too insightful, are you? Snakes is old school commando army. He's been in Black Ops type programs longer than some of the Joes have been in service, and when you in Black Ops, you don't talk about nothin'. And he's a ninja.. and them's some real close-mouthed folks right there. I mean... sure Jinx will run off at the mouth, but it's all braggin', she don't spill no secrets."

Psyche-Out peered into a bowl of batter, but backed up when the cook narrowed his eyes at him. "Ahh.. so.. he's just used to not talking to anyone, but he does seem to have a few friends.. Stalker and Scarlett.. "

Stirring flour into the bowl he held in one huge hand, Roadblock nodded agreeably. "Oh yeah. Stalker and Snakes are thick as fleas, man. Them's two brothers in arms. You ever seen them two 'talkin'? Snakes don't even sign the words, and Stalker already knows what's up, most times." He paused, chewing his lip a little bit in indecision. "Scarlett.. she's a real treat, and I think.. you know, I think the first time I ever saw her, I knew that she and Snakes were a pair. She was kicking his butt all over the training room, although I found out later, it was just a training exercise, you know.. she was showing the offensive moves, while he was showing the counters. It sure looked like this little redhead was beating the poop out of a big bad ninja. But somehow.. they just fit together, hand in glove. She always knows what to do, and he's always right where she needs him to be." He stirred and then lifted the spoon to see the batter drip back into the bowl, then went back to beating it.

Psyche-Out crossed his arms and nodded. "They seem like a pretty stable couple, although there is that whole 'no fraternization' rule and all, I know.. they're just 'good friends' right?" Roadblock looked away, and the doctor cleared his throat. "So.. you think he's acting oddly?"

"Well, he used to be around, you know? Now, I don't hardly see him, except maybe at a meal, and only then if someone else brings him in. But.. you know, he went through a lot I guess. What are ya gonna do? You can't force him to be Chatty Cathy. Shoot, the man can't talk, and he's surrounded by a whole team of egos, I'm surprised no one has collected on Ace's ongoing pool on Snake's killin' someone." At the look of surprise, he ducked his head. "Ah.. never mind.. ignore that.."

* * * *

Obstacle Course:

"You grunts get your rears in gear!" BeachHead looked at his stopwatch. "My grandma could run this course faster!" He glanced at the hovering psychologist. "So what can I help you with?"

"Well.. I wanted to know about Snake Eyes.. " He winced as the sergeant bellowed loudly. "Ahh.. maybe now is a bad time?"

"What? Naw.. now is jus' fine. What about Snake Eyes? Danged good man, shame about that general using him like a pawn.. danged shameful thing for a officer to do." He stepped forward and bellowed again. "GET YER BUTTS IN GEAR! You fall in my mudpit ONE MORE TIME and I'll have you running laps until DINNERTIME!" Scowling at the stopwatch, he grunted and made a note on the clipboard. "Barely passable, so you whole lot run five laps.. then go hit the showers." He turned to the doctor. "Now what did you need?"

Psyche-Out clutched his file folder and swallowed, unable to keep himself from being nervous with the drill sergeant. Even though he was one of the medical personnel, he still had to prove himself in shape, and was subject to the same physical training as the typical Joe. "Well... since he came back, I've been having some trouble getting a line on him.. and wanted to know.. how do you think he's been since he got back? If you had any ideas on how to reach him?"

BeachHead scratched his ribs thoughtfully, beginning to walk along the course towards the starting line. "Well... I dunno, I guess he's been fine. Keeps to himself mostly, but that's cause of all that ninja stuff I'd guess. Come to think of it, he's been pretty touchy lately. I heard he went off on his apprentices, during practice. That ain't like him at all. He's usually the coolest cucumber in the patch, you can't rattle him." Picking up a loose coil of rope, he looked over. "Snake Eyes.. he's a good guy to have around. He's dependable, and if he says he's gonna do something, it sure 'nough gets done. A guy like that.. jus' ain't right them mistreatin' him like they done. The man has a chest full o' awards if he chooses to wear 'em. He's gone and done jus' about everything Hawk ever asked of him. And then some general goes and drags him off and treats him like dirt. Jus' ain't right." He looked across the field, watching the tiny figures of the running recruits. "He's ours, and Joes take care of our own." Psyche-Out suddenly was subjected to the drill sergeants fierce gaze. "You help him. You're the head shrink, you help him get his mind right again."

Psyche-Out held up his hands. "I'm trying to, but.. he doesn't let me in. That's why I'm talking to the Joes that he's friendly with. I talk until I'm blue in the face, and he'll walk off. I know something is wrong, but I can't get him to let me help him."

Beachhead rubbed his chin for a moment, then stood looking at his trainees who had finished their laps and were panting and gasping. "Go shower, there's nothing more I can do with you sorry louts." He turned to the doctor. "I'll tell him to cooperate." He walked away and the psychologist shook his head. He wished it was that simple, but to BeachHead, it probably seemed so. The drill sergeant believed everyone should do whatever was needed in order to remain in perfect top form for the team. If that was doing a thousand push-ups before breakfast, studying computer programming in the evening after work was done, or.. apparently, opening up to the team head-shrink about issues you'd rather not talk about. He puffed out a sigh and moved on to find the next person.

* * * *

Underwater testing:

Shipwreck gave a big shrug. "I dunno what yer askin' me fer, I don't know the man."

Psyche-Out followed him around the SHARC submersible that the sailor was working on. "You found him when he went missing... you talked him off the roof.. that should mean you have some sort of insight.."

Now he shook his head and turned to the doctor. "Dude, I found him on the roof, just cause I thought it was the hardest place he could get to. Not cause I knew he'd like rooftops and empty vistas or long walks on the beach. And well.. I just talk a lot I guess, maybe in all the junk I babbled at him, something just clicked. Or maybe he jus' came inside to get away from me talkin' at him. Who knows."

"But.. something you said made him want to come back inside. If there's anything that might help.. I know he's your friend, don't you want to help?"

Rolling his head back on his shoulders, Shipwreck groaned. "Look, we're not even friends, according to Snakes. He told me we weren't, that we were 'friendly, but not friends', which I don't really see the big difference honestly. I like the guy just fine, and I don't want him to go slicing and dicing me on account a' me spilling his feelings out to the head shrink.. but if I knew something that could help, I'd tell ya. You should talk to Scarlett, she's his girlfriend. Or Hawk.. he respects Hawk like no one else. Get Hawk to order him to talk."

Psyche-Out shook his head. "Doesn't work quite like that. I'm doing my best with him, but he's just close-mouthed about whatever is bothering him. Scarlett is on my list too, but she's busy with the hand-to-hand training right now. Hawk wants me to help Snake Eyes.. and I really don't want him to break down and end up locked in a mental ward cell." He was surprised at the look of consternation that crossed the sailor's face. "What? It's possible, if he doesn't deal with whatever the issue is, he could deteriorate mentally until he snaps. If that happens, I won't have any choice but to lock him up, for everyone's safety."

Shipwreck gave him a look of pity. "You know, I forget you haven't been here that long. You can't just lock up Snakes.. "

"What do you mean? I have full authority if I think someone is mentally unhinged. What would stop me from locking him up?"

He was treated to a full eyeroll and Shipwreck spread his fingers at eye level. "Hellooooo? Ninja? Even if you managed to somehow catch him, and force him into a cell.. he's a freakin' ninja. It won't take longer than two shakes of a dolphin's tail, and he'll just poof and be gone. Snake Eyes ain't just a scary commando with a penchant for blades. He's a bona fide real life ninja, and if he don't wanna be somewhere, he just up and ain't there no more. It's spooky as all heck, and I'd rather be dipped and chowdered rather than try to put him somewhere he don't wanna be." He seemed to think that over a moment. "You know, I don't know how you'd manage to even get him into a cell if he didn't wanna go. I mean.. maybe if Hawk ordered him into it.. but the second the door closes, he's gonna just take off in some ninja spooky escape move, and be gone. Lifeline joked about using a traq gun on him.. but I sure wouldn't wanna be around when he woke up. Cobra has zapped him a few times.. dragged him off to a dungeon or brig or whatever they had at the time for prisoners.. and lookit what happened to them! Half the time, we mount a rescue operation, and he meets us at the front door with the heads of whoever was in charge. Did ya know? He once charged into Cobra headquarters, grabbed Cobra Commander by his short hairs, and dragged him out.. all cause he got really mad at them? I'm tellin' ya.. I wouldn't wanna be one of the guys telling him 'we're gonna lock you up fer yer own good'. Nuh-uh! Not me!" He shook his head and picked up a wrench. "I keep saying, one of these days, he'll go all ninja crazy and lop off someone's head cause they called him a sissy or something. But no one's collected on that bettin' pool yet."

Psyche-Out took that last comment, curious because of Roadblock's mention of it as well. "Wait.. what exactly is that betting pool?"

Unlike the gunner/chef, Shipwreck showed no hesitation in explaining. "Oh.. you know Ace, he's got a running betting pool going. Last I heard, it was twenty to one odds that Snakes manages to kill someone on the team outa being ticced off at 'em. Accidents won't count, but I argued that point some. I mean.. what if he wanted to do some ninja wounding move and they twitched sideways and he accidentally removed their head? Technically that's a accident.. but Ace says it's just if something went wrong accidentally in trainin' you know.. if he and Kamakura should be practicing with swords and it goes wrong. That wouldn't count. So it only counts if Snakes just up and up kills 'em deliberately."

The psychologist paled a little. "Everyone really thinks he'll just kill a teammate?"

Now Shipwreck seemed to think he'd said something wrong. "Oh not like that.. but you know.. if I get mad at say.. Flint.. and I lose my temper, I'll punch him in the nose. But if someone like Snakes loses HIS temper.. well.. you know.. it wouldn't be all like he'd go to murder a guy.. but he's a walking killing machine. It'd just happen, before he knew it." He thought it over. "I guess that might be considered an accident too.. that he didn't mean it. I gotta clarify that with Ace.. manslaughter isn't the same as an accident, so that should count."

The doctor shook his head. "I don't know. Isn't it a little.. morbid to be betting that one of your teammates might be killed by another of your teammates?"

"Oh no no.. gotta have something to do to pass the time, right?"

Psyche-Out left before he heard anything else disturbing.

* * * *

Training Room, Dojo:

He ended up in the gym, hoping to catch Scarlett in between classes. The redhead had turned the last of the beginners class over to Kamakura, and walked to a secluded corner to talk to him.

"I know what you're going to ask me, and no, I don't know how to help get Snake Eyes to open up to you. If I knew, I'd tell you. If I knew, I'd help him myself." She crossed her arms and looked away. "All I can do is to be there for him, and try to bug him about getting himself healthy. If I push too much, he just shuts down and walks away from me."

Psyche-Out nodded. "Even that helps me a little. It seems he's isolating himself from everyone. Like he thinks he doesn't need help, and is perfectly fine."

She shook her head and gave him a sad look. "That's not it at all. He knows he's breaking down.. he just doesn't want anyone in the blast zone. He's terribly afraid he's going to hurt someone, or that everyone will hate him when they find out what he's done. I think he's spent so long without anyone he could depend on, he's just terrified that all his teammates will turn on him. I can't convince him that no matter what he did, it's because he was under orders.. that everyone would understand orders are orders.. even if you don't like them. No one would blame him. But.. while he was gone, I get that the people where he was based were not.. hmm.. not kind or even civil to him. He's not used to that from military teams. He's always been a valued asset, even when people didn't trust him fully, or understand him, they always saw him as a talented member of the team that they would be able to count on. Those guys, they just saw a scarred up monster to ridicule and put down. If I could have five minutes along with them.. I'd show them some serious pain."

Her angry expression made Psyche-Out a little wary. "Easy there. It's over and done with. Snake Eyes is back where he belongs now." He saw her relax and then grin at him. "At least he should know his real team appreciates him."

"I think he does. That's why he's so wound up. If they didn't, he wouldn't be losing so much." She looked at her feet. "You know.. I really hope you can get through to him. I guess I haven't been the most cooperative patient to you, and I know you're just doing your job when you do evaluations on us and all.. so.. I'm sorry if I've been evasive or anything during our interviews."

He gave a soft laugh. "Don't worry, you're been practically a open book compared to most of the Joes. I knew going in that the members here wouldn't welcome a psyche sticking his nose into their private minds. It's part of the job, but thanks. Now if I could just pry into the local ninja mindsets.. it would make life a lot easier." She suddenly got thoughtful.

"Have you talked to Kamakura? I mean.. you can talk to Jinx, but.. she's really a lot like Snake Eyes when it comes to knowing her inner workings. She's all brash outer shell, and it's hard to get through that to the real woman. But Kamakura? He's just a boy still. I know I know.. he's not really, not in years old.. but mentally, he's still a fresh young man, and he hasn't really gotten that hardened ninja skull yet, hasn't learned to fence everything out and keep a game face. Maybe you should try him."

Psyche-Out made a face. "I have interviewed him before. Mostly I hear how perfect his sensei is, and how he really really wants to make him proud. And to be better than Jinx, of course. The rivalry between those two would convince me they were siblings if I didn't know better."

"Ha! That's just it. They are siblings. Yes, they have different parents by blood, but now they are both Arashikage clan, and that means they are pretty much brother and sister. Add in that they are both studying under Snake Eyes as his apprentices.. and you got real live siblings, right there."

He nodded. "What about you? Where do you fit? Aren't you part of his clan too?"

She lowered her eyes. "No. I'm the outsider, as much as I train with them, as much of Snakes' life I share.. I'm not part of the clan. But.. I don't let that stop me or get in the way of our.. understanding." She glanced at him. "I don't want to say more.. you know.. rules and regs against such things..."

"Ahh.. yes. No.. your special friendship isn't part of my reports.. if you worried." She gave him a short nod. "I'll try to get Kamakura to talk to me."

Now she turned and beckoned the young man over. "You can talk to him right now.. I'll take back my class." She raised an eyebrow at the smiling young man as he trotted over. "You're too slack with them.. I didn't give the class to you to let them all turn sloppy. Talk to Psyche-Out and I'll go straighten out your mess." She stalked away, and Psyche-Out watched his face fall.

"Yes Sergeant! Sorry Sergeant!" He turned to the doctor. "How can I help you?"

* * * *

Messhall:

"Sensei is obviously angry at us. I try very hard to be the best apprentice I can be. And I try not to fight with Jinx, but she makes that hard sometimes." He looked a little shamefaced. They were in the messhall, getting a meal. Psyche-Out noted that Kamakura did not share his sensei's lack of appetite at the moment. As physically difficult as the training was for the apprentices, he knew the young man would be burning off every calorie however.

"So you think he's angry only because of something you or Jinx did?" They settled at a table and began to eat.

"Oh no.. I can tell something more is bothering him. Sometimes he's.. hmm.. " Pausing to stuff a few large bites of vegetables into his mouth and chew, the ninja trainee thought a few seconds. "Sometimes he's cranky after he gets wounded. But then, if he's in pain, and still has to run about doing his duties, that would make any of us cranky. But this seems to be more. He's very distant, and he got very angry over a few minor thing. Jinx talks back to him a lot, and instead of just being annoyed, he actually fought her. He pulled most of the blows of course, but still, he was angry with her. I was there when Doc told him no sparring, because he isn't healed enough yet. I thought he shouldn't be out on the mats, but I wouldn't tell Sensei what to do, of course." He went back to eating for a minute.

Psyche-Out contemplated his BLT sandwich a few minutes. "So.. you know something more is wrong. What do you think would help?"

Kamakura gave him an eager look. "I think he should talk to you. You are very knowledgeable about things like that."

He heaved a sigh. "Well, I wish he shared your opinion. He's not talking to me very much, especially after I insulted him in our last session." At the curious look, he explained. "I don't know that much about ninja.. I mean.. real ninjas. I mentioned that I thought ninjas did assassinations, and I guess it really insulted him. I didn't mean to, I really thought that was one of the original purposes. I'm sorry if I upset you, I just wanted to let you know why he was angry with me."

Kamakura gave him a puzzled look. "But why would he be angry? Ninjas were originally hired assassins. Most ninja clans still hire out as assassins and bodyguards against other ninjas."

Psyche-Out was puzzled for just a bare instant. Then he flushed with anger. "Oh really? Well... isn't that interesting. Thank you Kamakura." He saw the apprentice's gaze go up beyond his shoulder and turned to see Snake Eyes standing there. "Hello Snake Eyes. I think you and I should have a conversation." He saw him staring at his apprentice.

Finally he signed at him. *Kamakura, you're doing katas until I come tell you to stop.. or you die of exhaustion. Now. Go.* His sharp gesture made the young man jump up and race out of the messhall. Now the ninja turned to him. *You've been talking about me to everyone.*

"Well, if you'd talk to me, I wouldn't need to go around asking your friends questions." Suddenly Snake Eyes sighed and gestured for him to follow. Psyche-Out obliged. "It's not that I want to pry into your personal business. But right now, you need help."

*I need people to leave me alone.* The ninja led him down to a unused office. *I don't want you running around base talking to everyone about my feelings and thoughts.*

"Then let me help you! I'm sorry you are uncomfortable talking to me, but that's my job. I don't appreciate your little ploy there, acting insulted when I didn't say anything wrong. I haven't been trying to trick you with mind games, and I'd appreciate if you'd at least give me a little respect. Something happened to you while you were gone, and it's eating you up inside. Tell me what it is, let me know, let me help you."

*You can't help me. You can't go back in time and make it not happen. I tell you, you tell Hawk, and I...* Maddeningly, the mute ninja stopped.

Psyche-Out pushed. "I'll only tell Hawk if it's somehow a danger to the Joes.. even he's not privy to doctor-patient conversations." The set of the man's shoulders didn't change. "It's a threat to the Joes.. isn't it? Or at least you think so. That's why you won't open up. You're afraid General Hawk will discharge you for real." Now he saw him slump.

*He would lock me up.*

Psyche-Out knew he was on the verge of walking away, and he changed tactics. "How did you know I was talking to Kamakura? Did Scarlett come tell you?"

Snake Eyes looked startled and shook his head. *I didn't know. I came to find you after BeachHead came and yelled at me to cooperate with you before he kicked my butt all over the Pit for not thinking of the team first. I don't appreciate that.*

Psyche-Out was a little nervous, thinking about Shipwreck's thoughts on Ace's bet. "Ah... I didn't know he would.. umm.. I didn't tell him to say anything to you. Umm.. is he.. I mean did you.. ?"

Snake Eyes snorted loudly. *I left him hanging from a rafter in the motorpool by one ankle. He'll be fine. The betting pool is still active.*

"You know about that? It doesn't bother you?" He was subjected to another snort and suddenly realized how much the man could communicate without a voice. "You don't mind them all thinking you would kill someone on the team out of anger?"

*It keeps them from bothering me, most of the time, when psychologists aren't running around getting them all worked up. Besides, the odds spread is favorable, maybe one day I'll bet and collect when someone annoys me enough.*

Seeing him joke, even feebly, made Psyche-Out relax a little bit. "Well.. I think that would be cheating.. but.. seeing as gambling is technically against regulations anyway.. I can't see Ace running off to complain. You know, Kamakura is worried about you too."

Snake Eyes turned slightly away. *He's young and flighty. He worries about many things.*

"Scarlett isn't young and flighty, neither is BeachHead.. or Roadblock. They are worried too. Everyone seems to realize that something is wrong, except you. Why are you keeping this secret?"

Snake Eyes gave him a last look before he signed. *I'm a ninja, its what we do best, next to killing too many people.* He walked out, but he didn't seem as tight as the other times. Psyche-Out sighed.

"You're going to snap soon. I just hope Hawk doesn't have to order you killed to stop you..." He picked up his file and headed back to his offices.

* * * *

End chapter 22.5

I know naming the chapters in halves throws it off slightly, but I hate going back and changing all the titles. I actually regret not giving the chapters actual titles, but next time!

Personally, I like ShipWreck's interview best. He's just so funny to me, and I hope no one minds me writing his 'style' of talking. I have the feeling too that the apprentices simply live in a perpetual state of 'in trouble' for various things.

I hope you enjoyed it, and remember, I enjoy your reviews!


	25. Chapter 25

Chap 23

Words from the psychologist, and being yelled at by BeachHead, what else for today?

* * * *

The very annoyed ninja walked into the gym, and stood with his arms crossed watching his younger apprentice preforming the series of kata exercises. When he finished the last one, Kamakura stopped and turned to bow at his sensei.

Snake Eyes signed at him with curt short signs. *Did I say stop?* He could see the protest begin, but Kamakura swallowed it back and turned back to begin anew, moving through each kata at a moderate speed. When he'd run through them again, instead of stopping, he automatically started over, which his sensei approved of. Instead of standing and watching, he stepped over beside him, slightly ahead, and joined in. He sped up the pace slightly, and ran through four more series before he stopped. Since his apprentice had been preforming the katas for hours before he'd come in, he turned and looked at him standing there. Kamakura's limbs trembled just a little bit, and he wasn't quite gasping for breath.

*Why did you talk to Psyche-Out about me?* He showed no concern for the exhausted state of the young man, and instead stood impassively, waiting for a response.

Kamakura looked a little shamefaced. "I'm sorry Sensei. I thought that Psyche-Out could help you. He is a very knowledgeable doctor, and I only wanted to help." He kept his eyes downcast.

Now slightly less annoyed, the larger man paced back and forth a few times, signing in agitation. *Haven't I said I don't need help? Haven't you been taught about the need for secrecy in our personal lives? I've kept my secrets for many years... and now, due to one youthful foolish apprentice, I have a psychologist breathing down my neck. And instead of being mystified as to my real nature, you would have filled him in on every secret I've told you?* He turned on him. *Why would you betray me? Have I not been a kind sensei, teaching you everything, showing you my techniques?*

Kamakura looked very distressed. "Of course!! I.. I didn't tell him... I mean.. I wouldn't betray your secrets, Master! Never! I only wanted to help you. I'm afraid... " He stopped and then swallowed hard before he met Snake Eyes' gaze. "I am afraid for you, that you are not well and won't get better without help. I love you like my own father, and I would rather you be furious with me, than to see you hurting."

Snake Eyes felt a hard pang run through him, watching his normally cheerful youth stand miserably, hands trembling despite his efforts to clasp them together to hide it. He wanted to ignore the truth, wanted to believe he was right about being betrayed.. and perhaps he was right.. in a way. He stepped forward slowly, staring into the pained brown eyes. When he gathered the youth into his embrace, he felt the trembling. He stepped back and carefully signed.

*I forgive you. I think of you like a son also. I have to be hard on you, otherwise your training would be worthless. But.. I love you, you are dear to me. No matter how angry I get, or how exasperated I might be, I always will be here for you.* He sighed heavily. *Go. Tonight you can meditate on why ninjas keep secrets, and tell me tomorrow what answers you have come up with.*

Kamakura bowed, but hesitated to leave. "Master.. will you talk to Psyche-Out?"

Snake Eyes gave him a hard look. *Leave it alone apprentice.* He watched him gulp and then bow again before scurrying out of the gym quickly. He stood and breathed in deeply, moving through his personal workout kata slowly, letting it stretch his body and relax him.

"Snake Eyes.. I should have know I'd find you here!" He turned to gaze at BeachHead storming in the door. The drill sergeant was puffed up and angry, and headed straight for him, pushing his sleeves up as he came. "Hang me from a rafter will ya?!?!"

* * * *

Ten minutes later:

"SNAKES!! LEMME DOWN!! I AM GONNA KICK YOUR SNEAKY BUTT!!" Snake Eyes tilted his head slightly, gazing upwards. He slid his katana out slowly, the silvery tone ringing softly. BeachHead wriggled a lot, hanging upside-down, trussed up tightly, but it didn't do him much good. "Hey!! HEY!! No! I'm your friend! NO!! I didn't bet this week!!!"

Carefully gauging exactly where he should cut, Snake Eyes raised the sword and sliced a quick series of slashes. Then he reached up and plucked the green balaclava loose, letting it fall on top of the pile of clothing.

Clad in nothing but his olive drab shorts now, BeachHead glared at him, swinging slowly ever so slightly side to side from the knotted ropes, his slightly shaggy brown hair hanging limply. "This. Is. Not. Funny."

Snake Eyes extended the katana up to his nose.

Suddenly smiling nervously, the drill sergeant looked at the sharp tip. "Maybe.. maybe it's a little funny... ha... ha ha... see?" The sword tip whipped to the side, and slipped back into the sheath. The ninja stared at him for a few quiet seconds, then turned on his heel and left. BeachHead watched him walk out the door, and then called out. "Hey! You're not gonna just leave me here? Are you? Hello? Anybody?"

* * * *

Snake Eyes was back in his room, doing a few stretching exercises and hoping to stay away from everyone, when the first knock at his door sounded. Waiting for a few seconds, the knock was repeated, and he walked over to punch the intercom button twice.

A muffled voice came through. "Snake Eyes, it's me Scarlett... are you okay?" He sighed and hoped that the psychologist hadn't wound her up as well. "You didn't come to dinner.." He jumped and opened the door up, stepping back from the opening in case anyone happened to be passing by. Scarlett stepped inside, lifting a covered plate as she did. "Hey.. I was worried when you didn't show up, you've been missing all afternoon. Roadblock gave me this, said you weren't eating enough." He accepted the plate and set it onto his desk, pushing aside the folders laying about. "Soo.. "

He turned to her and shook his head, spreading his hands before waving her to her usual seat on his bed. *I'm fine. I lost track of time.* She gave him a look that said she wasn't buying it in the least. *Really.. I was meditating.. thank you for dinner.*

She settled herself onto the bed, appropriating his pillows to put behind her back. "Yeah, I'll buy that, and any bridges you got to sell too." He tilted his head around and turned his chair to seat himself and lift the lid off his plate. "You haven't been coming to eat in the messhall, except for the occasional lunch, when someone badgers you to. Snake Eyes, you're too thin, and you need to eat, and I know that you're still recovering, but.. but please don't isolate yourself away from everyone. We're all your friends... "

He motioned with one hand while poking at the food with a fork in the other. *Except Falcon*

She glared at him. "Ha ha. Very funny. Even Falcon worried about you.. a little bit." He smiled at her. "I know, it's a running joke now, but even he was worried."

Snake Eyes raised one misformed eyebrow. *He only worries because if I fall over, Jinx might not be in the mood to put up with his stupid act.*

She threw her hands up, then laughed at his sly look. "Okay okay. Falcon is the anti-christ, and should be staked through the heart."

He pant-laughed at her and motioned fluidly. *Maybe lower than his heart..* She laughed louder. *Thank you for dinner. I'll thank Roadblock tomorrow too.* He didn't mention he had little intention of beginning to eat in the messhall again. He looked away, not entirely comfortable with his new habit of half-truths when it came to Scarlett. The dinner was tasty, being a beef roast with strong seasonings like he preferred. Roasted potatoes and a squash mix rounded it out. He ate about half of it, and started to put the lid back when he caught Scarlett's disapproving look. *I'm not very hungry...* She pointed and he sighed and sat the lid aside and stirred the food around a bit more, eating tidbits until he judged she was satisfied. This time he popped the lid back on and scooted over to the bed to sit beside her to forestall any further objections.

She gave him a pillow and snugged in to his side, shifting around to avoid his still sore spots. "You seem to be feeling a lot better." He nodded and toyed with her fingers. "I don't mean to nag at you." His shoulders shook a little as he laughed. "Stop it, I'm being all serious. I just worry about you, especially when you get hurt."

He pulled her hand up and kissed her fingers, realizing that she was perhaps the only person he was comfortable facing without a mask. *I'm fine, don't worry over me, I'm not worth all that.* She twisted and he held up a hand to shield himself from the smack she tried to land. *Joke.. joke..*

She subsided but pointed a finger at him in mock warning. "You better watch it Bub." She sat back against the wall, and he curled a arm around her gently. "I heard that you are finally allowed back to light duty." He nodded, and sniffed at her hair. "Tomorrow you can help me with the hand-to-hand classes then." Her smug tone told him she had more reason behind the request than needing help.

*You never need help, you handle all of them without me when I'm out on missions.* She pulled away and he held up his hands. *You do, you're capable of running the training arena all on your own, and you have Kamakura and Jinx...*

She frowned. "I'm sorry, I thought you'd feel up to it, but if you're still unwell.." Even though he _knew_ it was a blatant ploy, he couldn't help but bristle.

*I'm fine.. it's just that..* He felt his face flush with heat. *I...* Puffing out an exasperated breath, he suddenly gave in. *I'll come help tomorrow.*

She smiled, confirming that it had been a successful gambit to make him get out and work. "Good. You're the head instructor anyway. I'd hate for you to get all out of shape and flabby."

He snorted and poked her side. *I thought I was thin and needed to eat more. Make up your mind, woman.*

She stretched. "You are thin, but you can be out of shape and thin, so there." He gave up and tried to hug her again but she squirmed free. "And you need a shower." Now he gave a snort of exasperation. "Sorry dear-heart, but you reek, and you know it, and that's why you're still sitting around in your work-out clothing. Let me guess.. waiting until the showers empty out?" Meekly he nodded and scooted up to sit on the edge of his bed, fiddling with his hands instead of trying to explain. "Hey.. it's okay. You know the team doesn't care.." He shook his head. "Half of them have seen you before..."

He stood up and turned away from her. *Most of them cringe at me after they've seen my face, and I'd really prefer to not inflict that on any of them.* He felt her move behind him and put her arms around his torso to hold him tightly. Her touch soothed him, and he indulged himself for only a moment before he shrugged away. *I.. could you.. I'd like some time..* She looked at him with a hurt expression. *I'm sorry, I'm sorry... it's nothing you did..* She stepped backwards when he reached for her. *I'm sorry, please don't be angry..*

Scarlett shook her head and crossed her arms looking away. "No, it's okay. I understand, you just want some time to yourself. It's okay, really."

Trying to make up for his unintended hurtful words, he wrapped his arms around her unresisting body. Pressing his lips against her cheek briefly, he breathed in her warm scent and felt her soften in his embrace. He relaxed a bit when she relented enough to hug him back. While he didn't want her smothering him, he couldn't stand the thought of her angry at him either.

She pushed away from him, then lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss his face lightly. "Okay, I'll leave you alone for a while. If you want to talk, you know where to find me." He smiled crookedly in that way that charmed her every time. "You know I love you, right?"

The gentle smile spread into a grin that twisted his cheek grotesquely. *I had no idea you might..* She mimed shaking a fist at him, narrowing her gaze in a mock scowl.

"Oooo, you! To da moon! One'a dese days!" He grabbed her hand and kissed it repeatedly until she pulled him in to kiss him.

*Tomorrow I'll help you in the Dojo.* He opened his door up for her and sighed lightly as she trailed one hand down his arm as she left. He stood and watched her walk away down the hallway, almost regretting sending her away. She comforted his very soul, completing him in a way that nothing else in life ever had.

"Oh my god!" He spun, confronting the horrified gaze of one of the new greenshirts staring at his bare face. Dodging back inside, he slammed his door and gritted his teeth in reaction. He hated that look, that stark reminder that his face didn't belong in polite company any longer. Sure.. he'd never been considered a looker.. but he did still remember not making people ill when they looked at him.

He closed his eyes and took a deeper breath. It didn't matter. After all, now he knew, his monstrous outside only mirrored his true nature.. so what did it matter if someone saw him for what he really was?

* * * *

End Chapter

Awww, Scarlett is trying, and Snakes is being trying. Almost a good evening for him, until the greenshirt had to sort of ruin it.


	26. Chapter 26

Chap 24

Did the talk with Scarlett help? Who would you think to encounter during the long dark nights in the Pit? Thanks for the reviews, and thank you all for reading!

Nighttime in the Pit:

He brooded in his room for hours. By the time he'd decided to emerge, it was nearing 3 a.m. His hesitant look up and down the hallway showed no one at all. The lights were dimmed down to the night settings, and he scooped up his dark loose pants and t-shirt. Walking down to the showers, he met no one, and only heard a low murmur of the tv from the rec room. He padded silently to the doorway, and peered in, looking to see if anyone was still awake. Instead he saw GungHo asleep on the couch with a old black-and-white movie playing. He moved on to the quiet showers, relaxing with the hot water. His hair had gotten overly long, but he was a little wound up over the confrontation earlier, and decided he would rather have Scarlett clipper it for him later sometime. It wasn't as if he would get written up for having an extra inch of hair underneath his hooded mask.

He had mostly relaxed by the time he had finished getting cleaned up. The odd thing was that before his banishment to the other unit, he'd begin to feel comfortable enough to shower during the day, and.. he thought about it objectively.. he'd even been eating in the messhall, albeit not all the time. Snake Eyes gazed into the mirror, somewhat relishing the pain that came from looking at the damage done to him. He turned to one side, looking critically at the keloid tissue spread out across his cheek, twisting the his lip upwards slightly. He should be happy the injury spared both eyes. Snorting at himself and his self-pity, he thought more realistically that he should be glad that the injuries weren't fatal. Although some days he wondered if it wouldn't have been kinder for them to have allowed him to die, those were always fleeting thoughts he chased away immediately, being aware that it was nothing more than self-pity that he would wallow in if allowed to dwell on it.

Twisting his head, he tried to examine the latest bullet wound. It had carved a chunk out of his scalp, and Doc's neat work had closed it up with a row of stitches. Although it was still an ugly healing wound, it looked clean and uninfected, so he left it be and dressed himself, smoothing his hair down with a hand.

Deciding he wanted a pot of hot tea before he went back to bed, he wandered down to the communal kitchen area. It wasn't much more than a spot to heat a kettle of water, or to make a bag of popcorn or a snack. He did check carefully that the marine was still sleeping on the couch, as without his mask he didn't want to be seen. Luckily, at this hour few people would be awake, and none of the night shift security watch should have any reason to come to the rec room. His small pot and stash of green tea was still on the upper shelf. Once it was steeping, he found one of the tiny teacups and rinsed it out.

A deep unexpected voice made him leap up in the air. "Green tea?" He twisted around with the cup raised to strike and saw LowLight standing casually. The sniper would be pleased with himself for managing to sneak up on him. He immediately turned away and nodded. "Enough for me?" He nodded, and reached around behind himself to set the cup in his hand on the counter near the sniper. He heard the rattle as LowLight poured the tea while he found a second cup. "No need to hide." The nearly silent footsteps moved away, and he turned slightly to look. The tall blond man settled into one of the more comfortable armchairs, flicking on the lamp beside it, and shaking out a newspaper that had been crumpled up at least once during the day.

Pouring his own cup of tea, Snake Eyes debated a few minutes about whether to leave. LowLight was one of the Joes he could be comfortable with, because the other man was quiet and serene, and never ever got emotional or upset. Even the first time he'd seen Snake Eyes without his mask, he'd simply looked, hefted his rifle, and asked if he needed any help. Of course, that had been when he'd lost the chunk of scalp to StormShadow's sword, and been streaming blood all over the extraction chopper too. Heavy Duty had turned pale under his dark skin at the sight of his uncovered face, and RockNRoll had simply turned his back, manning his heavy gun at the opposite side of the chopper with studied determination. The sniper had handed him a gauze 4x4 without further comment, while he peeled the shreds of his mask off from around his throat. That had been one of the longest helicopter rides, and Wild Bill had griped for two weeks about how much blood he'd had to hose out of the back.

He went and sat in a nearby chair, in the shadows since the lighting was turned down in the rec room like the rest of the base. They both sat in silence, sipping the hot tea, the only noise, the slight rustle of the newspaper, and the snoring from the couch. Finally LowLight lowered the paper slightly to give an annoyed look over at the television area.

"I'm out here because BeachHead snores like a drowning cow." Normally BeachHead and LowLight were perfect roommates, with opposite schedules, they rarely crossed paths. LowLight was sent out on lone missions a lot, and having just returned, probably would have preferred to spend his evening off in his room. Now the ninja understood why he was out in the rec area. Snake Eyes looked over and got up to walk over to the back of the couch. Reaching over, he carefully pinched the cajun's nose shut for a few seconds. The snoring became a slight honk, and he grumbled under his breath and shifted a little bit. The ninja waited a few seconds, then came back to pour a second cup of tea in the silence. "Handy trick." ..was the only further comment.

Snake Eyes gave a slight nod and sipped his tea. He looked over at the sniper as he went back to reading his paper. LowLight was a sniper. He was trained and experienced in shooting people down from a distance. Yet he didn't think any less of him, despite his cool nature. LowLight only shot down legitimate targets in military situations though. He'd never... never gone sneaking into someone's house..

_...blinking through the pain and the blood in his eyes, struggling to grasp the hilt of one of his knives as he staggered to check the last enemy who'd shot him_ _in the head without warning..._

He shook his head to clear it. He didn't need to be thinking about that. As long as he could keep the images pushed away, he'd be fine. Hearing the paper rustle again, he looked up and saw LowLight frowning slightly at him. He motioned at the teapot, and the sniper only paused a second before extending the cup towards him.

Once he'd sipped his tea again, LowLight finally spoke up again. "You okay?" Snake Eyes nodded, and made an effort to lean back and look relaxed. He saw the other man's eyes narrow just slightly, but he went back to his paper instead of pressing. That was another reason Snake Eyes liked him, he wouldn't pry.

Eventually the pot of tea was gone, and he rinsed the dishes out, replacing them on the shelves. LowLight had wandered off, padding around the base at odd hours was his own eccentric behavior that everyone accepted. They had a regular night shift, and on occasion Mainframe would come wandering around when he should be asleep, but more likely he would be tucked away with one of the computers, or working on the database servers. In calmer times, LowLight and all three ninjas almost competed to see who could startle more of the others during a night. On occasion, Snake Eyes would set a task to his apprentices to sneak about and retrieve various objects from around the base, with manned stations included, just to test their ability to remain unseen and still thieve effectively. Eventually there were a complaints from the men on shift, when their items suddenly went missing, only to be returned later on. At that point Duke would often come around to lecture them on security and respecting their teammates on duty. Snake Eyes would dutifully listen, both Kamakura and Jinx would lower their gazes, and Duke would leave again, confident that he'd made his point. Normally the next target would be his office, but he never seemed to make the connection in timing. Or, if he did, he was simply satisfied it was his office, and not someone who would be more liable to complain about missing pens. Strange occupational hazard, worrying about ninja theft in the workplace, he supposed. No one ever promised that belonging to GI Joe would be boring.

Still restless, he padded through the hallways, doing a random security pass. As he silently moved through the darkened Pit, he would fade into shadows if anyone happened to be around. Half a dozen security guards, and nearly a dozen Joes on the night shift passed within feet of him, without ever knowing. Whether it was clinging to a ceiling over their heads, or standing exactly where their gaze would slide by without recognizing the shadow as a person, his presence went unknown. He grimaced at his daring, without his familiar mask, one of the newer security guards might just shoot him first, before realizing he was a Joe. Even ninja skills could fail enough for him to catch a bullet, and friendly fire hurt just as much. He would be mortified if he finally met his untimely end by being shot after hours by a overly nervous wet-behind-the-ears private making nightly rounds. Storm Shadow would probably manage to revive him from the dead just to scream at him over how stupid a way to die that was. He thought about his lost sword brother and sighed softly. One day, he would manage to deal with that situation. But for now, it was late, and he'd circled all the way through back up to the rec room.

Before he left the rec room again, he tossed one of the blankets over the sleeping cajun and flipped the television off. He'd just begun to snore again, but he simply left him to sleep. Back in his own room, it was time for him to try to battle through the nightmares again, fighting his way way through until morning.

* * * *

End chapter: A lot of activity in the Pit after hours. Things are beginning to go downhill, how much longer can he hide? Reviewers are adored!

Sorry I had to take one day off and write that plot bunny, you see the couple lines in here that set off the plot bunny, so there. I'll be writing another short describing them stealing various things as exercises.. but that's later. Also wrote a 8K+ word story yesterday, but it has gore.. not sure when/if it'll be posted. Plot bunnys gnaw on my brain if I don't give in and write them. Gnawed brains just plain irk me.


	27. Chapter 27

So Snakes is starting to break down, bit by bit. Repressing what happened isn't working too well for him is it? How will it affect him? Will he finally tell?

It's beginning to come to a head finally. Thank you to those that have reviewed the story, I really do appreciate it! I know lots of you are still reading, and I appreciate that you are sticking with the story! I know it's pretty fast going up on the site, uploading nearly a chapter a day, so if you think it needs more polish before it goes up, tell me that! I took a day off of this one and wrote a whole different one, about 10,000 words long. Still debating on whether to upload it, I think I'll decide after I finish posting this one!

And... on to the story!

Chapter 25(27 on FF)

The next day, trying to help run the hand-to-hand disintegrated into a disaster. Rather than stay on the sidelines, he'd fallen into his normal routine and gone out onto the sparring mats nearly at once. He'd started out fine, until one of the greenshirts happened to manage to strike at him from behind, and he'd snapped and kicked him four times before he could hit the ground. Once he'd brought himself under control, he tried to work with some of the newer recruits in evaluating their skill level. Practicing free-form hand-to-hand on the mats, he engaged one of the female soldiers, then froze up and gotten round-house kicked in his head, and lain stunned on the mats for a good ten minutes before he could stand. Not that the woman had actually kicked him that hard, but she'd managed to strike exactly where the bullet had, and apparently Doc actually knew what he was talking about when he said "no sparring". To make matters worse, Kamakura had been in the gym, and hovered over him until he'd finally gotten back onto his feet with assistance. The young nuisance had called Lifeline and he'd ended up being all but forced to the medical ward. Snake Eyes spent the rest of the day in the infirmary, nursing a horrible headache, and being scolded whenever Doc had a moment free.

Scarlett had been very upset, both at herself and at him. She blamed herself for taunting him into helping before he was cleared, and of course blamed him, rightfully, for going through with activity he wasn't cleared for, and in fact, had been medically barred from engaging in. That had gotten loud, and with his head pounding, he'd gone off at her, signing furiously a lot of things that he wished he could take back. Of course, her red-headed temper meant she'd stormed off to hit things, leaving him to lie around and suffer while the doctors took their turn to yell at him.

When Doc came back in and began going over a new list of his restrictions, and threatened to keep him in medical rather than releasing him again, he finally had enough and began plucking the various sensors and bits off himself.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

He stopped long enough to sign. *Stop yelling at me. I'm leaving.* As he slid out of the bed, Doc grabbed him by a wrist. Despite being basically a noncombatant in status, Doc was no lightweight, and had a great deal of combat experience and training. Snake Eyes glared at him, and then gave a twist and jerk and was loose, with the doctor halfway across the room. He'd been careful to not overdo the move, because despite the fact that he was furious at everyone, he wouldn't injure his teammates knowingly. He especially wouldn't hurt Doc, but he wasn't about to be bullied by any more people today.

He'd left, leaving behind a glowering doctor, and a grouchy medical staff. He'd pay for that the next trip into the infirmary he made. Psyche-Out was noticeably absent and he wondered if he had finally managed to alienate the man.

Headed back to his quarters, he found Scarlett waiting at his doorway. Raising his hands, he signed quickly at her.

*Don't yell at me. I'm sorry for whatever you're mad about. Just don't yell at me.* He unlocked his door and walked in, leaving it open in a tacit invitation into his room. She followed and shut it behind her. *Doc yelled at me, everyone has yelled at me, I'm tired of being yelled at, so don't yell at me.*

She pressed her lips together and glared at him. He crossed his arms and stood looking at her. Finally she threw her hands up.

"I don't know. What do you want? You don't want to rest long enough to heal up, you don't want anyone to help you, you don't want me around, you won't tell anyone what's wrong, you won't accept Doc or Psyche-Out's help, you won't even EAT!" She started to pace in the tiny space. "Stalker and I have tried to just give you some space, to let you sort through things in your own time.. but all you do is push people away. You've yelled at your apprentices, and told them to go find another sensei. You refuse to be around any of your teammates. You won't follow Doc's orders. So what do you want?" She turned around and suddenly put a hand on his arm. "Why won't you let someone help you?"

He stood for a moment, wanting to make her leave.. to just stop prying. If he could keep from remembering, why did it matter? He sighed and settled onto the bed.

*There's nothing to help with. I don't want to talk about it, I want people to stop badgering me about it.*

Now she sat down beside him. "If there's nothing to talk about, why don't you tell me why you overdid it on the greenshirt today? Or why you froze with the other one? It's not as if you should have taken a roundhouse kick to the head.. and I know you didn't even attempt to block or evade."

Now he looked away. *I... he hit me from behind.. I just overreacted. And.. * Now he lowered his gaze. *I just.. I saw her telegraph her kick..* He reached up to drag his mask off finally. *I'm sorry... I don't know why I froze..* That was the first blatant lie he'd told Scarlett. He distinctly remembered the woman's hair streaming sideways, fanning into a brown wave that triggered the memory in his head.

_..brown hair fanning out as her body flew backwards.. he saw the impact..._

The images tried to impose themselves and he shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate on something else. *Would... would you come with me to dinner?* The distraction seemed to work, as Scarlett gave him a little smile and reached to squeeze his hand gently. *I need to change.. meet you at your quarters in an hour?*

She hopped up. "Okay.. I'll wait for you there." She bent to kiss his cheek. "Remember, I love you." He nodded and closed the door after she left. Now he sat and brooded, wasting the time until he needed to change clothes to go meet her.

* * * *

Clutch grinned and elbowed RockNRoll, jerking his chin at Snake Eyes where he waited in line in the messhall with Scarlett.

"Yo, Snake Eyes.. I heard you were put down by a girl today. What's up with that, huh?" He laughed and nudged his buddy again. The heavy gunner ignored him and moved up in the line. "Big bad ninja losing his touch?"

Scarlett snarled at him in reply. "Shut up Clutch! You wouldn't have a clue about sparring properly anyway!" He sneered at her. "You keep it up, and I'll wipe the mat with you myself!"

He smirked at her. "I'll keep it up alright.. and I'd love to have a go at ya on the mats.."

Now Stalker spoke up from behind them, making Snakes turn in surprise. "Oooooo, Clutch, you're in for a world o' hurt. You know performance evals are coming up. Scarlett will have every excuse to put you through the wringer big time now.." He grinned at the chagrined look on the driver's face. "And.. the day you can bounce back to work less than a week after getting shot in the head.. you just let me know."

Raised voices caught their attention as Ace and Shipwreck came in with a few other Joes trailing behind them. Ace waved his hands in exasperation. "I'm telling you, today shouldn't count! Snakes wasn't cleared to fight yet, so it doesn't count that he was back in the infirmary today! He went against Doc's orders!"

Shipwreck wagged a finger at him. "You didn't specify that he had to be following doctor's orders! If you didn't figure in Snake Eyes disobeying medical restrictions, which he always does, that's your fault, and you're a lousy bookie if you didn't take something that obvious into account."

Ace bristled at the insult. "Lousy? I'll show you lousy!" He was suddenly elbowed and turned around to face Snake Eyes himself. ".. oh... hi Snakes... "

The ninja was very obviously displeased. *Stop making betting pools on me.*

Ace looked to Scarlett for a translation and she complied. Now the pilot tried to smile at him. "Aww.. it's not like that.. it's umm... you know, we're all pulling for ya Snake Eyes." He held up a hand. "High five?" He was subjected to a unmoving glare. "... ahh.. sorry? Please don't behead me."

Shaking his head, Snake Eyes gave a dismissive wave and moved back to take his tray from Scarlett. She leaned in closer to him. "Don't let Ace bug you.. he runs a betting pool on everything." He snorted in reply and pointed at the vegetables he wanted. "Get some of the hash.. it's real corned beef in it." He shook his head but she pointed at it. "Give him some of that too." The kitchen worker slopped a spoonful of it onto the plate while Snake Eyes gave her a mild glare. "And the potatoes."

*I don't want that.* She pointed a finger at him and he weakened. *I'm not that hungry.* Her eyes narrowed and he sighed heavily. *Yes, mother.* That got him a punch in the shoulder, which he rubbed as if it were painful. *You're so abusive..*

"Oh my god, you're being such a big baby. Get your plate." He took it and got extra pints of milk, setting an extra one on her tray. "I don't need two pints of milk."

Now he wagged his finger at her. *Milk is good for women. It helps prevent bone loss.* She narrowed her eyes at him. *I saw it on Dr Phil.*

"You're impossible." She smiled though as they moved to a corner to sit down. Scarlett bullied him into eating most of the plate of food. He hated having his mask even partly up, and kept his eyes down, not wanting to see any of his teammates staring at him. "The hash is good, isn't it?" He gave a short nod in reply.

Roadblock's deep voice made him startle and reach up to shield his face slightly from view. "Hey Snakes.. didn't see you come through the line. Here.." A small bowl of creamy soup was set down next to his elbow.

Snake Eyes shook his head, signing at the huge cook. *Not hungry, ate..*

He got a grin, making the mustache bristle out in a funny way. "Doc told me, high calorie diet, so you'll gain back weight. You're too thin buddy." Snake Eyes sighed at him. "Oh no, you eat that. I made it up special.. it's cheesey broccoli soup with bacon."

Giving in, although without grace, the commando pushed the soup to the side slightly. *Thank you grandmother.* His sarcastic reply made the chef laugh heartily, but he walked away, leaving the pair their privacy. *When did all the Joes turn into Italian grandmothers?* His plaintive query made Scarlett laugh a little bit. *Between Doc, you and now Roadblock, I'll weigh as much as Bazooka soon.*

"It's not that bad. You need to put on some weight, didn't they feed you at all?" He shrugged. "Was the food just so bad you didn't eat? Or was it all field rations?"

He shifted the bowl and tasted it carefully. It was really flavorful, and he was fond of the type anyway. *They.. they wouldn't let me wear my mask, and the other guys.. * He put his hands down and fiddled with the spoon a moment. *.. they were not..*

Scarlett reached out to touch his arm gently. "Weren't very accepting..? The Joes are different, we're your friends." He shrugged, and seemed to concentrate on the soup, although he stirred more than he ate. Offering her a taste, she made appropriate noises of appreciation. "He makes a mean cheese soup." When he tried to push the bowl over, she shook a finger at him. "That's yours.. you eat it." He made a face at her, but pulled it back and ate more of it.

*You're all fattening me up. I'm suspicious.* His signs made her smile, happy to see him teasing at her.

* * * *

Soooo... he's still flip-flopping. He's having episodes, but hey, if he represses the episodes then they didn't happen either.. working SO well for him with the memories and images.... Sigh. Don't you just want to beat him with a stick? Well... if he wouldn't take the stick away and kill you with it in a terribly messy ninja-like way?

Next chapter, you'll get a good glimpse at one of the images that's been driving him insane slowly...

Thank you for reading! And remember, I adore reviewers!!


	28. Chapter 28

And... better late than never... (sorry work + yard + some online business dealing = me posting late today) here's another chapter. In this chapter, there is a little grimness, but it's a flashback.. so don't get too worked up. It's not a full flashback yet.. but that's coming up fast! I'm struggling to finish BEFORE I catch up with posting chapters, so you guys don't have to wait for the ending!

You know what inspires me to write more, faster, better! More of your GREAT reviews! I enjoy hearing what you think, and I use it to better my writing, making certain that MY ideas are getting to YOUR eyeballs on the page. So keep it up! If you don't like the story, tell me why!

Thank you all for reading, and now... enjoy the next chapter.....

* * * *

After a few more days, Doc declared himself annoyed enough that he didn't care if Snake Eyes killed himself overworking or not anymore. Snake Eyes decided that meant he was cleared for at least regular duties, although he doubted he'd be assigned any missions. In fact, two small groups of Joes had gone offbase already. Scarlett had been with the second group, an emergency mission to put down a Cobra attack on a research facility. Routine stuff for the GI Joe team, but it rankled to see them leave, and he couldn't go.

Any other time, he might have simply stowed away in a vehicle, and appeared when they arrived. But right now, he was barred from missions on medical grounds. He'd have had to deal with the mission commander, probably Duke, and Doc when they brought him back to base, and Hawk when the commander found out. Of course.. if he caught another whack to his head and ended up passed out, he'd never live it down, so he put the stowaway plans on hold for now.

Instead of going on missions, he was stuck at base. He'd worked out in the gym, feeling most of his injuries nearly healed. Instead of doing hands-on training with recruits, he'd coached from the sidelines, not trusting himself in actual simulated combat. Even standing and watching, he was assaulted by images as the trainees went through the paces.

One young man was spun around and then kicked in the kidney by a female recruit. The impact drove him forward into the wall, and Snake Eyes suddenly felt his breath catch.

_Impact across his kidneys, sending him flying into the window. Miracle that it didn't smash but it seemed reinforced plexi rather than typical glass. Spinning to confront his new opponent, he'd been faced with a tall brown-haired woman, holding a respectable sized K-bar knife, and snarling curses at him._

_"You killed the bastard, now I'll kill you!" He defended against the first clumsy blows, intending to knock her unconscious, despite his orders of 'no witnesses' he wasn't going to simply kill her for seeing a anonymous masked intruder._

_"Who sent you? Why don't you just pay!?" She took advantage of his slight confusion at her words, and suddenly launched a series of skilled blows, slicing him efficiently. He realized he'd grossly underestimated her about the time she had buried the K-bar into his thigh downward. His blow to her forearm was all that prevented her from filleting his entire leg. Losing her grip on the knife, she staggered back a step and then launched a kick at his wounded thigh, and another landed on his neck, stunning him slightly. _

_He'd seen her coming in an all out leap at him, and thrown a upper kick, feeling the thigh wound tear worse at the blade still embedded in it. His foot caught her in the chest, and threw her backwards. When she landed on the heavy coffeetable, her neck bent at an impossible angle and her eyes had been glazed..._

He gasped, bent over, holding his head helplessly. Someone gripped his upper arm, and he knocked them away, blinking and struggling to see real time and space, and not the mental images flooding him. If he could just stop it before...

_.. looking at her body, he felt regret, it was self-defense, and no way he would have known her skill or that she'd be there... he caught movement on the narrow stairwell, and as he began to turn his head to look.._

_*PAIN* His head jerked violently backwards as a roar of a large caliber handgun sounded. One hand dropped to snatch the heavy knife from his thigh and he'd pitched it blindly at the unseen enemy..._

On his hands and knees in the gym, he sucked in another breath. No more, no more.. he chanted inside his skull, anything to drive the images away. No more.. he could vaguely hear voices outside him, concerned and questioning. He focused on the mat under his hands, seeing it in detail, the stitches along the seam.. the scuffs from boots and gear impacting it, stains from ground in motor oil or dirt. Pushing himself up, he stood and looked at unfamiliar faces. Trainees.. recruits.. future GI Joe teammates... he shook his head.

"Sergeant... are you okay?" He nodded and swallowed. "Should I call the infirmary?" Now he firmly shook his head. The last thing he needed was the doctors asking him to tell them what happened.. he was barely keeping everything contained now.

*I'm fine, continue..*

He was given a blank look and began to fish out his pad and pen. Before he could, one of the trainees spoke up.

"He said to continue the exercise. He's okay." The lean blond woman looked at him for confirmation and he nodded, relieved that someone understood ASL. "Any other orders Sergeant?"

He shook his head and turned to look over the area. Most of the people had gone back to their exercises, either performing basic katas, or doing hand-to-hand sparring. He motioned her back to work as well, and she straightened in not-quite a salute and strode off. Snake Eyes stood there a few minutes, struggling with himself until he banished the disturbing images and memories once again. When Jinx appeared, almost as if summoned by his mental distress, he sighed. She came directly to him and stood watching the trainees.

"Are you okay Sensei?" He nodded curtly. "Is Scarlett still gone?"

He looked at her suspiciously and nodded. Jinx looked uneasy but didn't say anything, and simply watched the group working. She eventually pointed out a few of the better fighters, and he told her to go give a full evaluation to both the blond he had talked to briefly, and another young man twice his size, but surprisingly quick. Concentrating on watching the way they moved, and whether they strained in the attempts to defeat his apprentice, he marked a sheet with notes on each. After Jinx soundly defeated them for the fourth time as a pair, he clapped his hands once, and walked over.

The sharp clap stopped Jinx and the woman in place, and both straightened to face him. The young man however swung hard at the lithe asian who had stopped fighting him. Snake Eyes reached out and caught the descending fist without much visible effort, stopping the blow midair. A slight push to the off balance recruit sent him stumbling backwards and the ninja shook one finger at him in the no-no motion understood by everyone. He waited to see if it would anger him, being interrupted and shown up by another man. Obviously unhappy about it, he stood up straight and then stepped over to stand next to the woman in line. Snake Eyes nodded and then pointed at the female.

"My name is Jayhawk, Sergeant!" She wasn't quite standing at attention, but he could tell it was an effort. He turned slightly and pointed at the man.

He hesitated briefly, but then barked out. "Goon, sir." Snake Eyes twitched at the 'sir' but let it pass. He wrote a little more on the clipboard.

Jinx glanced at him as he began to sign, and translated for him, since Goon was one of the many who couldn't read sign. "You both pass, I'll put you in Basic for a full evaluation tomorrow. You almost held your own against Jinx, with two against one. That's almost impressive."

While Jayhawk looked pleased, Goon burst out angrily. "Yeah!? Gimme an opponent who stands and fights, instead of a little girl who squirms away every time I go to hit her! You'd see what I can do then!" Jinx had stood still, looking directly forward but every ounce of her body language warned her master not to do it. Instead he had handed the clipboard over to her, and she took it from him with a sigh.

"Take it easy, Sensei." While he stepped forward, and both women stepped out of the way, he pondered if she meant to be easy on the recruit, or to be careful for himself. Either she worried that he wasn't fully recovered enough for fighting, or she thought he would break the young man completely.

Goon looked at him a little disdainfully. He was half the younger man's size, and although dressed in commando black with the mask and visor, he wasn't wearing body armor like many of the experienced Joes did. Goon wore the regular issue padded chest and limb guards with a lightweight padded soft helm to protect his thick skull. All the trainees on the floor wore the same protection, guarding against accidental injuries when sparring or exercises went awry. It seemed to give him an advantage and it was interesting to note that he made no move to discard the padded armor in order to make it a more 'fair' fight.

Unlike many others, Snake Eyes approved of the man's refusal to give up a perceived advantage. In the fighting they taught, there was no 'fair', there was only what worked to keep you alive and preferably the winner. So instead of insisting, he stretched both arms to the side and then relaxed into a slight crouch.

Goon wasted no more time with taunts or feints, he launched right into the commando, doing his best to tackle him to the floor in a brawling move. Instead of going down, or dodging away, Snake Eyes shifted slightly to one side and brought his knee around and up to impact into the attacker's chest. There was a satisfying 'oomph' as all the air left his lungs and he was knocked backwards. His gasping lasted only a few seconds and he was back, struggling to grapple with his older opponent. Each time he made a grab, his arm was brushed aside and he was twisted around suddenly and ended up down on a knee struggling to get loose from a tight hold. Not only was he pinned effectively, but both arms somehow tangled with each other and he couldn't move. He tried but he had no leverage to get to his feet, or to pull the other man over top of him. He felt the grip release and he was kicked forward with a foot in the middle of his back. Landing facedown, he got up slower and crouched.

This time, he did feint, going to the right slightly, then dodging left and swinging a roundhouse blow in towards Snake Eyes head. Just the slightest jerk to the side, and he missed completely, and his right hand punch coming in low was brushed aside. Before he could even pull back, he caught punches to his chest, ribs, and side of his head. By the time he'd blinked, the commando was a good four feet away and he barely saw the kick that knocked him sprawling. He lay there a moment, a little bit stunned and a lot chagrined. He watched the silent instructor as he waved his hands in patterns he didn't understand. The little asian girl from before spoke up, translating for him.

"You need a lot more work. If you don't control your temper in fights, I'll dismiss you from consideration. We only take the best of the best here. Anger serves only your enemy."

He crawled to his feet and straightened with an effort. Goon did take note that the dark clad older man wasn't even breathing hard. "Yes Sergeant. I'll do better. Thank you." He waited until he was given a motion obviously dismissing him, and turned to go get a towel. Wiping sweat off after he removed the light padding, he rubbed his ribs and sighed.

"You didn't do too badly." He turned to see the little dark headed woman. "You were just rash, but you didn't really lose your temper entirely."

"Yeah well... I'm not used to being beaten. Especially not by little girls." He sneered but it didn't seem to do anything but amuse her.

"Get used to it. Unless you wash out, you'll get your butt handed to you on a regular basis by girls. Sensei Snake Eyes was doing you a favor by not letting me do it."

He snorted derisively. "Yeah, some favor. What would have been different if you'd been the one facing me?"

She smiled, and he saw a hint of evilness in that expression. "Oh.. if I had been out there, you would be bleeding now, instead of slightly bruised." She walked away, jaunty and looking as if she had been taking a short walk through a park, rather than doing hand-to-hand instruction for the last hour or more. If he'd known she had just come in from the obstacle course and subsequent laps for mouthing off at BeachHead, he probably would have quit right then. Instead he limped off to the showers in ignorance.

Snake Eyes had watched this from the side, and wrote a few more notes. If Goon straightened out his attitude, he might make a decent Joe.. at least a Greenshirt reservist. Otherwise, they'd dump him back into the Army Special Ops where he'd come from. He dismissed the last of the class, and disappeared to his next duty.

* * * *

End chapter

Okay... so now you've had a glimpse.. he's still struggling to hide it from everyone, including himself.. but it's slipping.. even ninja control can't contain memories.


	29. Chapter 29

Oh my gosh.. I'm running behind badly.. I may even have to skip a day to finish up the next chapter. But.. here is the currant one! Some have wondered.. is Scarlett still trying to help him? Well. Of course.

I got a few really awesome reviews! Thank you to those guys! Thanks to all my readers, my peeps.. Thank you for the suggestions on other stories too, I'm working on two others as we speak.

And now.. on to the story....

* * * *

The next day..

Snake Eyes was seated, writing up a report on the various potential Joes. There were a few stand-outs, a few wash-outs, and a great deal of general recruits that they would have to train and hope for. He had copies of the dossiers of the especially good, and the especially bad ones. The office area was fairly quiet, with the staff concentrating on the workload, with little banter going on currently. Normally he'd be doing things like paperwork in his own room, but he needed the forms and computer files, and it was simply easier to take over a unused desk. Hawk's staff never minded him being there, normally treating him like one of them. He was seen often enough coming and going. If his silence and mask bothered them, they didn't usually seem to show it.

Hawk suddenly appeared at the door of his office. "Snake Eyes.. team Bravo is back." He stood and looked at him. "Almost everyone is okay, you'll want to go meet.." The general sighed at the empty spot. ".. meet them.." He turned to the blond beauty seated at the main desk. "Cover Girl, let them know, debriefing in two hours." She nodded and headed out.

The ninja sped along the hallways, rushing up to the main deck as it was finished lowering. The small troop stood patiently waiting, and his eyes searched for one redhead. When he spotted her seated in the driver seat of a A.W., he puffed out a breath of relief. The deck stopped and the warning light blinked out, vehicles moved off carefully, parking in various spots for repair work, people moved boxes of gear around, and he pitched in, carrying various weapons to a dolly to check over and service later.

"Snake Eyes!" He turned and was hugged firmly by Scarlett. "It's good to be back.. what a screw up this mission was." His return hug made her wince. "Easy.. I'm bruised up." Now he turned her and guided her towards the medics, and she protested. "I'm fine, it's just a few bruises.." He wouldn't be dissuaded and she was checked quickly by Lifeline who confirmed she had some nasty bruises.

The medic looked at the hovering ninja. "She's fine.. I'm sure you two have ointments for bruises, take it easy a couple days if you can." He moved away to deal with a arguing Duke who had a more pressing sliced arm. Snake Eyes watched for a few seconds and motioned towards the struggle.

Scarlett waved dismissively. "Cobra launched a mortar, took out a chunk of pavement and he got tossed. It's not severe, a few stitches should set him right." She sighed and he put a hand on the small of her back. "I'm going down for a shower and the debriefing. I'll see you later?" He nodded and watched her stride off.

"Snakes! You wanna gimme a hand pulling the fifty cal?" He turned and nodded, going to help Heavy Duty in pulling one of the heavy machine guns off the vehicle it was mounted on. He would be cleaning and checking them while replacements were mounted for the next trip. They had extras, that had been checked and repaired last time they were used. One of the many things he insisted on early in the program, since it only took once for a major weapon to jam up to turn a routine mission into a possible disaster, for want of a few hours of cleaning or a part that needed repair.

* * * *

Several hours later, and he was just arriving back at his quarters after cleaning up. Inside he'd pulled out old cargo pants and a long sleeved shirt, before lighting the two small candles on his desk. Almost on cue there was a knock and he'd heard Scarlett's voice muffled by the door. She walked in and flopped onto his bed, dressed similar to him, in casual sweat pants and a t-shirt.

He set aside his cloth mask, having picked it up out of habit when the knock came. Plucking up the small bottle of muscle rub, he waved it at her and smiled when she moaned softly and sat up. "Please.. I am so tired... and so sore. I think every Cobra Viper I fought has been trained to kick the same darned spot." She peeled off the sweatpants, revealing both lovely gray panties, and a ugly spreading bruise on her upper thigh. Then she pulled up the shirt and showed him the one on her ribs and lower back and he hissed in anger. "I know.. they're gonna be doozies tomorrow! I showed Jaye, and she immediately prescribed extensive ninja massage therapy for them. Lucky for me, I have a personal ninja masseuse."

He smiled and motioned for her to stretch out on his bed and began to rub the warmed oil over her back. Even though he was very gentle and delicate over the bruising, she still winced during it. As the herbal ointment soaked in, she began to relax, and he moved to work on her legs, similarly treating the thigh bruise. Having her roll over, he smoothed the last of her knotted muscles and pulled out the warmed lotion and dangled it over her face.

"Oh yes!" She smiled happily, feeling treated as he rubbed and massaged in the lightly scented lotion, finishing up by delicately stroking it into her facial skin, and finally a gentle scalp massage. She loved being pampered by him, and often smiled privately about the intense deadly powerful ninja lavishing such gentle attentions on her. His fingers worked their way through her hair, and she rolled her head for him to finish under her left ear. "Maaarvelous..." He bent to kiss her cheek, and she turned her head to gather a kiss on the lips as well. "Thank you.. I feel so much better. How was work?" Her light tone made him smile as well. Settling beside her on the bed, he leaned on an elbow and signed at her that nothing much was going on, other than the usual recruits and paperwork.

Then he signed while peering at her. *Did you eat?*

"Yes.." She wrinkled her nose at him. "The question is.. did YOU eat.. and I don't mean in general." He looked away and then hesitantly nodded. "Oh? Then what did you eat?"

He looked rather sheepish. *Breakfast.. with Jinx. And an apple this afternoon.. * She sighed at him. *I ate yesterday, big dinner.* His expansive gesture for 'big' and his facial expression made her laugh.

"Let me guess. Roadblock made your plate for you?" He nodded ruefully. "Good. But you should have eaten today too."

He tilted his head side to side. *I was worried about you, then it was busy. Besides.. * He patted his belly. *I gained four pounds this week. I'm getting fat.*

She poked at his lean belly. "It's probably all water weight.. or the weight of the throwing stars you hang all over yourself." He frowned and narrowed his eyes at her, leaning over and scowling worse as he got closer to her face. She grinned bigger and kissed his nose, making him smile in response. "Okay.. so you aren't starving yourself totally. How's the combat training going with these new ones?" He held up a hand and rocked it side to side. "Any good ones at all?" He gave her the basics on Goon, and then on Jayhawk. "Good.." A huge yawn occupied her for a minute and she twisted onto her side, backing up against the wall. When he picked up the pillow and held it to her head, she lifted it up so he could tuck the fluffy pillow under her. "Thanks.. I'm soo tired.."

She considered if he would want her staying overnight, since they hadn't spent much time together since he'd come back.. but he made no objection. Instead he got up and shut off the lights, leaving only the tiny light from the candles to illuminate the room. She watched him peel off the shirt and pants, and reached to lay an arm over his torso when he stretched out in bed beside her. The bed was small, but they'd shared smaller spots before, and she was used to curling around his lean frame. They had learned that she needed the inside spot, or he invariably pushed her out of the bed onto the floor each morning before he woke up.

"Good night lover.." Her whisper against his neck made him reach to stroke her arm gently where it laid across his chest. There wasn't enough light to see him sign, but he pressed his hand on her shoulder in the 'y' shape.

*I love you.*

She smiled and stroked her fingers along one of the scars streaking his skin. She drifted to sleep to the sound of his soft breathing, content that for now, all was well.

* * * *

End chapter... Kind of a boring chapter? Well they can't ALL be dramatic, I guess. Keep tuned for the next chapter!


	30. Chapter 30

Last chapter was short.. and I thought it was a little boring, because not much happened, other than him and Scarlett getting to spend a little time together. Well, this chapter is actually more of the same, with a teasing glimpse of what really happened, and at least it starts off with excitement!

Thank you for reading! And yes, it's getting close to the conclusion. I'm still working on the action sequence coming up! Blame Flint, he's arguing with me and being a royal pain in the rear! I'm about to fix his little red wagon though, and that should solve the action sequence.

And here's the next chapter!

* * * *

Snake Eyes was slammed forward, losing his grip on the body of the man he'd just killed. Hitting the window, he was surprised it didn't break, but the pain in his back from the blow distracted him. Whirling, he struck out, knocking a woman away from him.

"Why? Why would you kill him?! You murderer!" She jumped towards him, swinging a knife at his face. He deflected it, and twisted to drive a knee into her side. She changed directions so quickly that he had no chance to block the knife hand and it plunged into his thigh. His punch to her arm made her lose her grip before she filleted his leg open, but she continued to fight, grabbing at a second weapon. His driving kick sent her flying backwards, her suddenly red hair fanning out in a spread of crimson...

Scarlett impacted against the coffeetable with a horrifying crack.. her head falling to the side at an impossible angle and he ran towards her trying to scream.. a single massive blow to his skull knocked him sideways, and he grabbed at his head, struggling towards the woman he loved that he'd just murdered.. redness descending on him. The unseen enemy grabbed his arms and he swung fiercely, trying to get away to hold her one last time..

*THUMP*

Struggling upright on the floor, he flailed, trying to disentangle himself. Scarlett's concerned voice made his heart race.. alive? She was alive?

"Snakes!! Snakes! Please.. you're dreaming!! Wake up!" Finally backing out from under the damp blankets, he grabbed frantically for her, touching her face, with blood flowing across her cheek. "Hey.. hey it's okay.. it's okay.. it was just a dream.." She drew him into her arms, holding him tightly and letting him gasp for breath. "It's all fine.. you were just dreaming.. nightmares.. it's all okay now.."

He pushed her away to look at her face again, holding her cheeks in his palms and kissing her face repeatedly. She gave a short laugh as he tugged her to his chest, hugging her tightly.

"It's okay.. really.. you're fine.. that must have been a doozy of a nightmare! I tried to keep you from falling out of the bed.. but you just thrashed and rolled off. Usually it's me falling out of bed.. see? Now we'll have to get bedrails.. it's alright.. it's over now.. really.. come on.. " She looked at his face and nodded gently. "See? Now that you're awake, it's all okay!"

He reached to touch her cheek, streaked with a smear of blood. Staring at his fingers coated with red, he looked at her fearfully, showing her his hand. She shook her head, and wiped at her nose. "It's nothing.. I think you elbowed me when you fell out of bed. Look.." She wiped her face with her arm, eliminating almost all traces of blood. "Look.. see? Good as new. I'll bet I give you harder knocks butting ahead of you in line in the messhall.. I'm fine.. really.. " He suddenly sat back onto the floor, reaching down to his thigh, feeling the nearly healed wound, the strange juxtaposition making him more confused than would be normal.

Scarlett tugged his hand. "Come on.. the floor has to be cold.. come back to bed." He let himself be pulled to his feet, and settled on the edge of the bed. The redhead picked the covers up off the floor and shook them out, tossing them around his shoulders. Settling beside him, she snugged up next to him to put an arm around his waist. "There.. that's better. Wow.. not that you don't have the occasional nightmare, but that was just crazy. What was it?" He pressed his lips together and shook his head. "What? You don't want to tell me? I always find if I talk about what it was, it won't come back." He shook his head again, tugging the blanket closer around himself. "You sure? Snake Eyes.. you know you can tell me anything at all. You know that, right?" To her dismay, he ducked his head down and shook his head again. "You can. Look at me.." He lowered his chin slightly further and she reached out and took his jaw in hand to pull his face around. "I said.. look at me. You can say you don't want to tell me. But don't you say you CAN'T tell me. There is nothing that you could possibly tell me that would make me not love you. Do you understand me?" He reluctantly nodded. "You better mean that." Releasing his jaw, she bent and pecked a little kiss on his cheek, then scooted under the blanket with him. "Lie back down... "

He shrugged her arm off, and started to get up, but was pulled back down. He twisted to sign carefully. *I'm just getting up, no sleep for me.*

She shook her head and pointed at the alarm clock blinking light. "Love.. it's not even four a.m. Even BeachHead isn't up and around yet. Lie back down... "

He debated getting up anyway, but decided that the squabble with his girlfriend wasn't worth it. So instead, he laid himself back down, letting Scarlett climb over top of him to lie beside him. She put her head onto his shoulder, one arm thrown over his bare chest. Normally, this was his most favorite place and time to be. When Scarlett was not a intel agent, not a covert ops commando, nor a markswoman with a deadly crossbow.. she was merely a woman.. his woman.. choosing to be with him for no reason other than she preferred his company to anywhere else she could be. He could be only himself, not a deadly ninja, not one of the last of the Arashikage clan, not a killer valued for his incredible ability to slip into tight-locked facilities.. just a man who was continually astounded at his luck at having such a magnificent woman choose to be with him.

This morning, he was still tense, unable to let go of the dread and horror. He reached to stroke Scarlett's forearm where it rested on his chest. She smiled and sighed lightly, already near asleep herself. He shifted a little, turning his face to her hair, letting the scent invade his senses. She sniffed a couple times, wiping at her nose a little. Remembering her bloody nose, he reached over to stroke her hair, and when she gave him a sleepy smile, he rubbed circles onto his chest several times with his closed hand.

*I'm sorry, so sorry*

She blinked at him and put her hand over his, stopping the movement. "It's okay.. just an accident. I'm fine." She yawned widely. "The greenies will probably bust my nose today anyway.. today is lesson one in kicking your enemy somewhere other than the nuts." He gave a light cough-laugh. "BeachHead teaches them to kick them in the nuts.. we teach them to kick them in more effective places." He touched her cheek so she opened her eyes.

*It's very effective to us guys. I'd really rather you kick me in the head, any day.*

She grinned. "I'll take that into consideration next time I want to kick you." He winced and frowned at her. "I'm only kidding.. I'll kick you wherever I feel like it when I want to kick you."

He rolled his eyes at her and signed shortly. *Go to sleep wicked woman* She snuggled in and closed her eyes to relax back into sleep. He lay still, letting his breathing slow to a relaxed state, while his mind churned. Closing his eyes brought the images to the forefront of his mind and he flicked them open again, struggling to calm himself. Scarlett's hand stroked his chest, and her half-asleep voice murmured wordless comfort.

By the time he banished the images away again, his eyelids drooped lower and lower, as he almost sank into sleep. The soft chime of the alarm brought him back to wakefulness again. Scarlett rubbed her nose into his chest and groaned. Snake Eyes reached to tap the alarm off, and then twisted to face her, putting his face down next to hers. Using a finger to stroke her face gently, he kissed her lightly. Feathering light kisses across her cheeks and forehead over and over, he continued until she smiled and twisted her face into the blanket.

"Okay.. okay.. I'm awake." She opened sleepy eyes and he couldn't help but smile. "You have the best ways to wake a girl up."

His smile widened as he freed his hands of the sheet to sign at her. *I haven't tried it with more than this one girl..*

She gave a mock scowl. "You'd better not be trying with any others either."

*Perhaps I should.. just for the sake of scientific testing..* She scowled harder, and he mocked her expression, scowling back at her. His face covered with twisted keloid tissue and scars became a horrible leer and she stopped, uncomfortable with his expression, even though she was many years used to his scars. When he stopped and relaxed again, she lifted her head to kiss him instead. *I would never..*

She put a hand over his to still it. "I know.. I was teasing.. " He bit at her finger lightly and she snatched it away and shook it at him. He responded by rolling over and stepping lightly out of the bed. When he stretched carefully, she listened to the pops and cracks as he snapped his vertebrae bit by bit. The always slightly stiff left shoulder clicked twice and then popped loudly as it settled into place. He'd broken it too many times for it to be right without a slight effort each morning. She looked his body over critically, clad only in army shorts, nearly all of his skin was exposed. Scars criss-crossed all of his limbs, small pock marks of bullet wounds showing here and there. Burn marks tracked his upper back and a few areas other than his face.

He twisted himself around in each direction then looked at her with a questioning expression. *Staying in bed lazybones?* She snorted at him and he began pulling on a set of black cargo pants and an undershirt. When he sat on the edge of the bed to put on socks and his boots, she sat up and wrapped an arm around his neck, tugging him backwards. Although he obligingly tipped over into her lap, he continued pulling on his socks, using his feet to lift his left boot up so he could tug it on. She grinned and reached to try to interfere and he frowned and twisted to one side. *Stop.. pest. You should get up too.* She sighed and scooted to the edge of the bed to get up and begin digging around his single set of drawers to find a tshirt and shorts. *Taking my clothes again?*

"Sure.. why not? I'll go start my morning workout, then I can shower and get dressed. Don't worry.. I'll remember to bring them back." She jumped at him, wrapping her legs around his waist and hanging on. "I love you." He smiled while holding her and they shared a kiss. "Are you sure you're okay?" He rolled his eyes and put her down. "Okay okay."

He plucked up his cloth mask, motioning to the door while he tugged it on. She sighed and opened it up, peeping out first then turning to give him a last smile before walking away. He closed the door behind him, watching her trot down the main hall towards the gym, enjoying the view. When she reached the gym doors, she turned and caught him staring as he walked the hallway. She shook her finger at him in mock rebuke and he shrugged and gave her two thumbs up. She disappeared into the gym to begin her early morning workout, while he headed upwards in the lift to go for his normal morning run with BeachHead.

* * * *

End chapter. Next chapter is a real doozie, the beginning of the fall. I'll do my best to get it done fast, but it's slow going(darn that Flint!) and work has been busy!

Readers liked, reviewers loved!


	31. Chapter 31

And sooo... the long awaited chapter, yes, you've been waiting for it, trust me. This story is rapidly approaching the end!

Thank YOU for reading my story, and a huge thanks to those that continue to review! Your reviews often set off plot bunnies in my head, which lead to more stories. Speaking of stories.. let's get back to this one.

* * * *

Chap 29

Early afternoon, and Snake Eyes had ended up in the large workroom on the second level. His morning run had to be aborted when his thigh started to hurt badly. BeachHead had taunted him a little, although he knew it was just his way of being encouraging. At least the sergeant major seemed mostly over him hanging him upside down. Now he was indoors, doing grunt work. Most of the large weapon work and repair happened in here. Rebuilding smaller vehicles, especially the motorcycles and single person transports also happened in here, to save the large open space in the motorpool for the APCs and tanks, with the various other large vehicles.

It wasn't him alone. After any large mission, all of the vehicles were checked over thoroughly, and as per Snake Eyes own protocol, all the heavy weapons were pulled and replaced with freshly repaired and serviced ones. The ones used in the mission were then able to be cleaned and checked, and repaired if necessary. It was a great deal of work, but it was the most efficient method for being certain each gun was ready and able to be fired. One jammed weapon could cost lives, and Snake Eyes had long since determined that it would not happen if he had opportunity to prevent it.

His own quiet work had been noticed and expanded, with Joe protocol altering to include his methods. So the end result was that after a mission, there would be several Joes, all working to dismantle and clean and service weapons, vehicles, and even tool kits. Today, Snake Eyes was joined by Dusty, Roadblock, Stalker, LowLight and Ripcord, although Ripcord was more interested in polishing his vintage motorcycle.

Dusty tossed a greasy rag at the cycle. "Yo Ripcord.. when are you gonna stop messing with that piece of junk, and come help us with the actual work?"

Ripcord mock sneered at him and then grinned. "I got ya.. just wanted to install the new switch. It just arrived, and it's an authentic switch, not a repro.. " He was answered by mock snoring. "Ahhh shut up the lot of you!" He gave a last swipe to get a imaginary blemish off the handlebar. "Alright.. so where's my fifty caliber guns at?" He was pointed at a table and went to pick up the first. "Geez oh pete, these things are so heavy!" He got catcalls and ribbing as he lugged it over and dropped it onto the workbench surface in the center of the room.

Snake Eyes grabbed at several springs laying around as they rolled wildly with the shaking of the tabletop when Ripcord thumped the gun down carelessly on the far side of the bench. *Be careful.* His sharp signs went unnoticed as Ripcord was peering down at the barrel of his gun instead. He slapped the tabletop twice, and then repeated his signs when the trooper looked over.

Ripcord grinned and shrugged. Snake Eyes shook his head and went back to cleaning and oiling the springs and bits of the heavy Minigun he had dismantled on his side of the bench.

Dusty sighed and slid a cleaning rod down the barrel of the M16 in his hands. Although he normally would be working the motorpool on the vehicles, he was taking today to clean the hand carried rifles. His rifle had inexplicably jammed only a few days earlier, and he was determined that he would make it up by personally cleaning each one used. His lanky good humor was always welcome, and every so often if it got too quiet, he would fill the silence with some terrible joke.

Right now, he judged it time for one, so he spoke up casually. "Hey.. why do fish live in saltwater?" He was answered by suspicious looks.

Stalker decided it was his turn to play straight-man. "I dunno man.. why do fish live in saltwater?"

Dusty grinned. "Cause pepper makes 'em sneeze." He was answered on all sides by groans. "Hey hey!! How come a chicken coop only has two doors?"

Roadblock started to talk. "They don't.. some only have.."

Dusty quickly broke in. "Cause if they had four, it'd be a chicken sedan!" More groans and Roadblock held his nose while Snake Eyes shook his head.

Stalker spoke up. "What do you call a crab that plays baseball?"

Ripcord laughed. "I dunno man."

Stalker grinned. "A pinch hitter." He ducked as oily clothes flew in his direction. "Why does Duke take a ruler to bed with him?" Several off color suggestions began and he interrupted loudly. "To see how long he slept!" Hoots and howls sounded.

LowLight spoke up quietly from his corner where he was carefully swabbing out one of his sniper rifles. "Where do cows go on friday nights?" Everyone considered for a moment until he answered solemnly. "To the moooooovies."

A general uproar went up with that. Almost hesitantly, Snake Eyes signed at them. *Why does Falcon use gunpowder to brush his teeth?*

Stalker gave him a funny look. "I dunno Snakes, why?"

He signed casually. *Because he likes to shoot his mouth off.* Another general uproar, as Snake Eyes rarely joined in the joking.

Duke stopped in the doorway, hearing the loud laughter. "Hey.. what's going on in here? Any work getting done?" Everyone quieted down instantly.

Ripcord spoke up pertly. "Snake Eyes was telling us a joke." Duke blinked a few times, started to say something, and then shook his head and left without comment. They did manage to not laugh, although a few snickers and chuckles escaped. Everyone worked quietly for a while.

Ripcord looked over slyly at the ninja concentrating on the bits he was reassembling. He kicked the bench, making the parts slip out of place. Snake Eyes shifted irritably and started over. He got the tiny parts almost slid into place, and Rip booted the table again, making him drop the spring again. By the time he'd retrieved it and looked over to glare at his teammate, Ripcord had a innocent expression on his face. "What? Sorry.. "

The commando settled back in to assemble it, when Ripcord jostled the table once more. He slapped the surface with one hand sharply and began to sign for him to stop. Ripcord looked away deliberately.

"Hey.. Dusty.. you got any oil over there?" He got up and walked over while Snake Eyes fumed. He decided to ignore him and took the opportunity to assemble to trigger mechanism without interference. Ripcord came back and settled to cleaning again.

He spoke up finally. "Hey... what's the difference between a dead skunk in the road.. and a dead ninja in the road?" Everyone looked over. "There's skid marks in front of the skunk." He laughed and there was a couple hesitant chuckles. Ripcord looked over at the resident ninja who was steadfastly ignoring him.

"What's the difference between a monkey and a ninja?" He looked around. "One is dirty and throws poo... the other is a monkey." He was the only one laughing this time but he still grinned at Snake Eyes who to all appearances had gone stone deaf. "Wait.. wait.. if you're on an island with a serial killer, a killer clown and a ninja, you got two bullets in your gun.. what do you do?" Everyone looked at him. "Shoot the ninja! Twice!!" He laughed uproariously, while everyone's gaze went to Snake Eyes.

The ninja waited until Ripcord wound down and looked at him. *That's not funny.*

Ripcord protested. "Dude!! It's just a joke! Get real." Snake Eyes continued to look at him steadily, then finally shifted to put his back to the man and began working on his minigun's loading slide. "Geez.. get a sense of humor."

Stalker gave him a disgusted look. "Shut up Ripcord."

Roadblock finally looked over. "Hey.. anyone gonna go to the Halloween party upstairs next month?" A few mumbles and shrugs. "I thought I should let ya'll know, I'm gonna be cooking up some good stuff for it." Now there was some interest.

Ripcord looked hopeful. "Pies? You make the best pies. I mean.. I like any party, but I guess I'm hoping I get the night off, go into town for some real fun." Dusty agreed. LowLight kept quiet, but everyone knew he tended to take guard duty on holidays. No one needed much more information than that.

Stalker sighed. "I wish I was going home for Halloween, I'd take the kids out trick-or-treating, and stay home to hand out candy the rest of the night. Good times."

Dusty laughed. "Oh yeah.. I used to dress up in scary outfits to open the door and do the 'booga-boooga' at kids. Great fun in the neighborhood."

Roadblock grinned hugely. "Man.. sometimes my whole family gets a wild hair.. and one year, we suddenly all decided we should be the mummy family.. and used up a case of toilet paper wrapping us all up like mummys. That was the funniest thing." Even LowLight chuckled about that.

Ripcord gave a sideways glance at the still silent ninja. "Hey.. so Snakes.. if you dressed up at Halloween, what would you be?" Stalker frowned at him, but he stepped out of range for him to reach him. "I mean.. since you wear a mask all year... you could just take off your mask.. that's scary enough."

Stalker hissed angrily. "That's not even a little bit funny." Snake Eyes twisted to look at the trooper who was all grins. Focused on chastising Ripcord, even Stalker missed the stiffened body language as the commando faced his tormentor.

Ripcord laughed slightly. "Come on! Snakes knows I'm just having some fun with him. Ain't that right Snake Eyes? After all, you'd never pull off your mask to scare kids... it might give them heart attacks. We all know Snake Eyes wouldn't want to kill a kid.. right Snakes?" He grinned toothily, hoping he'd managed to needle his normally solemn teammate.. until he turned to see the commando staring at him. "Uhh...."

Snake Eyes stood, muscles straining, and the phrase clicking over repeatedly in his head.. _wouldn't want to kill a kid... wouldn't... kill... kid... _

He almost _heard_ the 'ping' when his mind snapped. One second he was standing, jaw locked in anger, muscles clenched and straining to prevent himself from snapping up the paratrooper and breaking him... and then everything suddenly seemed to dissipate inside, and he tossed the heavy workbench over, clambering over it before it even finished landing. Grabbing Ripcord by the throat and lifting him clear of the floor... he wondered with a tiny detached bit of his mind if it was possible to actually punch the man hard enough to make his head fly off his neck entirely. Then he tried it out.

Ripcord went flying backwards, but before he got out of range, Snake Eyes boot met his middle and accelerated his leaving. He did a credible four bounces before he met the set of toolboxes which scattered tools everywhere. Everyone was up and moving in an instant, Dusty scattered sideways out of the ninja's direct path, Roadblock tried to move in between Ripcord's landing zone and Snake Eyes attack path, Stalker grabbed one arm, and LowLight grabbed the other.

Stalker yelled at his long time friend, even while part of him thought he was about to die in a messy painful manner. "Snakes!! Stop it! Enough!" LowLight stuck with grunting as the commando dragged him along without noticing the extra weight. Bracing his feet barely slowed their progress. Roadblock reached out his arms, being a human shield guaranteed to stop their progress. Snake Eyes did stop, glaring up at him from behind the visor.

"Now.. Snake Eyes.. I'm sure Rip is awfully sorry he said that.."

Before he could finish, the ninja snatched his arm loose from Stalker, grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tossed him aside like a doll. Then he turned his face to glare at LowLight still hanging on the opposite arm.

The sniper swallowed and turned loose. "Sorry.. my bad." He walked backwards slowly. "Easy.. " Stalker was scrambling up and Roadblock shook his head at the newly advancing commando.

"You stop it right there, Snakes.. can't let you pull Ripcord's head off, he's annoying, but he's your teammate." When he was within reach, the huge man grabbed at him, intending on wrapping him in a bearhug to immobilize him. Snake Eyes ducked under the questing arms, and punched him in the side once, then brought his knee up to toss him sideways. Dusty was over at Ripcord, helping him sit up. His eyes were still crossed, and he wobbled badly.

Ripcord's voice was slurred. "Whaaa hit me?" Dusty looked up at the advancing ninja and swallowed, standing up to put himself in the way and closing his eyes tightly. Snake Eyes stalked towards them, kicking the shiney bike aside like tinfoil. "Hey... that's my ride man!" Ripcord was managing to get himself to his feet somehow.

Stalker was back, and got in front of Snake Eyes again. "Dude.. I'm telling you.. stop right now. Enough! You back it down.. right damn now." He raised his voice. "Dusty.. get Hawk up here..." Dusty nodded and darted out, happy to be anywhere doing anything that did not involve shoving his body in the path of insane killer ninjas.

Right now, the only noise was Snake Eyes sucking in deep breathes. He motioned his friend out of the way and Stalker shook his head. "No man.. you ain't doing this.. it's not worth it.. think about it.. he's your teammate." He watched him snarl silently. "Calm down... " From behind, Roadblock swung a gun barrel at head height.

Snake Eyes reached up a hand, and stopped the barrel midair, inches from his head, and turned to look. The small bit of sanity still smoldering in his eyes vanished, and he twisted suddenly midair, slamming a kick into Roadblock's chest, sending him flying backwards. Before his feet seemed to touch down, he swung around and roundhouse kicked Stalker out of his path, throwing the purloined gun barrel to knock a rifle from LowLight's hands. He landed in a crouch, twisting to scan the room quickly.

* * * *

A couple notes... no, I understand that Ripcord isn't a bad guy, but I needed someone to act like a jerk, even though he's sort of just yanking the ninja's chain, in calmer times, he would maybe have just gotten a big ole' slapping around.. at this point, he's gonna hit a few trigger points. Without both the time spent getting taunted and tormented in that other unit, and the mental stresses building up inside, Snake Eyes would most likely have simply walked away, but this would definitely be a case of "should have left sleeping ninja's lie".

The really stinky jokes were purloined shamelessly from a couple online "bad joke" sites. I picked some of the worst ones, with still keeping it clean. I personally love the idea that LowLight would say "Moooooooovies.."

Next chapter, will they be able to stop him? Will the betting pool finally pay off for someone? Who would be able to stop or slow down Snake Eyes in a full fledged killing fury? Oh.. and guess who's conveniently off-base and therefor unavailable to assist? Yes.. I took Scarlett off-base, to keep her from being able to help.

And next chapter, you get to see how I deal with characters that fight me when I'm writing. Yes, FLINT! I'm talking to you!


	32. Chapter 32

Chap 30

As awaited, here's the rest of the fight.. I promise, Ripcord isn't really a total jerk, he's just running his mouth at the wrong time. Think of him as the guy who doesn't know when to quit teasing, he's not really mean, he just doesn't have a clue as to how badly he's pushing all the wrong buttons on a ninja who isn't threaded too tightly. As he found out last chapter. So this chapter... who will stop the fight? Will Snake Eyes manage to murder ALL the Joes before he stops? Will he come to terms with his inner demons? Will he reveal what really happened eventually? Does he like gladiator movies?

Thank you for your reviews, and especially thank you to Storyseekr, who really gives me a good perspective on how my characters are being read!

On to the story...

* * * *

Dusty pelted down the hallway as fast as he could run, caroming off the walls and shouting. "Snake Eyes has gone nuts!! Someone get Hawk! Duke!? Someone help!"

Flint snatched him to a stop, making him thump onto his butt onto the hallway floor. "What the heck is going on?"

Dusty gasped at him, clambering back to his feet. "Snake Eyes is killing Ripcord.. up in the workroom.. Stalker told me to get Hawk.. he's gone insane! Rip was ragging him hard, man.. and then Snakes just snapped and went for him! He's gonna kill him, and whoever gets in his way." Flint gaped at him for a second then turned to run up the hall.

He shouted back at Dusty. "This better not be a joke! You get Hawk on the line! And Lifeline! And then find out how long to get Scarlett here! Fine time for her to go offbase for debriefing!" He shouted more orders to people along his route, sending Joe's scattering in all directions. "Someone get a couple guys with guns to cover the hall doors.. keep him contained! Find Duke and get him headed here! And Psyche-Out!! This is his job!" He arrived at the doorway, out of breath and out of ideas. He ran right in through the door, intending to take command of whatever situation existed right away. Instead he ran right into Snake Eyes right arm as he neatly clotheslined him into the floor. Knocked unconscious, Flint moaned softly and lolled his head to the side.

Stalker picked himself back up for the fifth or sixth time. "Snakes!! You just put Flint on the floor!"

Ripcord had managed to get himself around behind the remaining workbench in the center of the room. "Dude!! I was JOKING!! Calm your badass self down!" Snake Eyes gripped a hammer tightly then let it fly, Rip ducking just in time for it to embed in the wall over his head. "Don't kill me!! Please dude!! I'm sorry!"

Stalker threw a handful of bolts at his friend to distract him. "Here!! HERE!! That's right.. you better pay attention.. look at me.. Stalker... see? Are you in there?" There was a quick rush and he slid across the floor on his back. He was reasonably certain there was kicking involved. Dazed, he struggled to get up, only to have LowLight grab his harness straps and drag him to the doorway. The sniper ran across the room and reached to snatch up a rifle. When he whirled and dropped to a knee, aiming for the ninja, Stalker yelled, but it was unneeded. Snake Eyes was already on top of him, pushing the rifle barrel aside as if there was no consequence, and thumping him on top of his head hard. LowLight crumpled to the floor, writhing and holding his head.

Now the commando turned to move to the work bench barrier that separated him from Ripcord. Reaching sideways without looking, he grasped a steel pipe and slid it off the tabletop, making a rasping metallic noise.

Ripcord began to talk quickly, trying to move sideways slowly. "Look.. look.. man, I'm sorry.. I was just joking.. okay? Look, here's me really danged sorry, and I'll never ever ever tell another ninja joke.. ever.. I promise.. just don't kill me.. okay? I didn't mean it." He cringed when Snake Eyes leapt up onto the top of the workbench, staring as he raised the pipe up, preparing to brain him.

"Oh no you don't!" BeachHead tackled the commando from behind, knocking him forward and hanging on gamely. "You ain't about to.." He was punched hard and grunted as he went down. Struggling upright, he swung on the ninja, and then had to try to block multiple blows and kicks as he became the target.

Stalker rushed in, grabbing Ripcord and dragging him out of the room while Snake Eyes was distracted. Lifeline had arrived and already had moved Flint out as well. Now he followed the trooper back in, with them being confronted with both BeachHead and Snake Eyes standing and exchanging blows. The drill sergeant went down hard, but struggled back upright. Every blow he blocked heralded another that landed. Even though he managed to hit Snake Eyes, the crazed man didn't seem to take notice. Stalker waited for an opening, and rushed in to block his friend from advancing on the downed sergeant again.

"Stop! Snake Eyes.. you stop right now!" Making himself a target seemed a poor idea as the ninja crouched and weaved towards him, moving in a way Stalker had never seen directed towards anyone other than dangerous enemies.

"NO!!" Surprisingly, Snake Eyes twisted to confront the new voice.. Lifeline standing behind him. "Look.. look... you know me. It's Lifeline.. remember? You trust me.. come on.." Instead of responding, the warrior headed for him, stepping unerringly around the debris scattered across the floor. Seeing him headed for him at speed raising a hand to strike, Lifeline did the only thing he could think of, and dropped to the floor, covering up his head with both arms to protect himself. Huddled on the floor, he waited for a blow that never descended. Instead he could hear deep gasping breaths, and peeped out at the ninja standing only a foot away, jerking slightly, obviously fighting himself.

Behind Stalker, BeachHead was struggling to get upright. "I'm okay.. I'm okay.." He tipped over sideways and tried to get up again. "Lemme at him.. I'm good.." Gaining his feet, he staggered slightly but stayed up, eyes unfocused. "Alright.. bring it on ninja-boy.." He was pushed towards the door and tried to focus his bleery eyes on his commander who had finally appeared.

Hawk gave a light push to move the drill sergeant to the doorway, succeeding in making him stagger sideways until he crashed into the wall to be grabbed by Kamakura and pulled to safety. "Naw.. I'm okay.. let me at him.." He fell over suddenly, and was dragged out of the way.

In the meantime, Snake Eyes had backed up, bit by bit.. moving away from Lifeline who stayed crouched on the floor. He twisted and vented frustration on Ripcord's cycle, smashing it across the floor. Lifeline was herded to the doorway by Hawk, followed by a limping Stalker.

Hawk checked the room again. "Alright.. what's the situation here?" Stalker shook his head. "Report.. "

Taking a quick look inside the room as a particularly loud crash sounded, Stalker gave a quick concise version of the afternoon's incident. "... and now.. he's in there by himself. I think he's just venting on Rip's motorcycle right now.. Sir.. I don't know what we can do.." He motioned to the hallway, where LowLight crouched with a rifle held at the ready. "I don't like it.. but.. if we have to.. the only way we'd be able to stop him, is to shoot him down. I've never ever had him go after me like he did in there."

Lifeline protested. "He hasn't killed anyone! If he really was totally out of control, there would be a pile of bodies, you know that! General, you know Snake Eyes.. he might be angry, and out of control, but he HAS been pulling his blows, and he didn't even hit me.. when I didn't fight back, he backed himself off.."

Hawk frowned. "He won't attack me, and I'll put an end to this right now." Ignoring the protests, he walked into the room. "Snake Eyes! Stand down! That's an order!!" His sharp tone immediately made the ninja's head snap up. He drew his katana and crouched, shifting himself towards the General menacingly. "Stand down!" Duke started into the room to intercept the attack, knowing he would be too late to stop it. "Hold right there lieutenant! Snake Eyes! Cease this immediately!"

Head tilted slightly, the ninja moved sideways towards him anyways and Hawk suddenly realized just how mentally snapped his long time soldier really was. The sword spun around in his hand, and he lunged forward in one quick move.

Hawk's hand reached up to stop it, and grasped the hilt instead, as it was presented into his hand. He was staring into tormented eyes from a mere foot away. "Snakes... " He looked and saw the tip of the katana pressed against the black clad chest, his own hand wrapped around the hilt. "Noo.. don't do it.. it'll be fine...calm down.." Each labored breath brought blood to the surface as the sword penetrated the shirt and skin alike. He pulled backwards carefully, drawing the sword with him.

Standing in front of him, he saw the ninja struggling with himself. Finally he saw the shaking hands raise up to sign at him. *Kill me now.. I won't fight you..*

Hawk shook his head. "No. Not a chance.. whatever happens.. I'm not going to kill you.." Snake Eyes let himself fall to his knees. "It'll be fine.. we can get help.."

He signed carefully from his place on the floor. *I will tell you how it happened.. then you will kill me.. and end this.*

* * * *

End Chapter

Did the action flow? Enjoy it? Hate it? Up next, what REALLY happened in that house? I promise, the next chapter posted will tell you from Snake Eyes perspective what happened, finally.

As always, thank you for reading! I truly enjoy writing these stories!


	33. Chapter 33

Chap 31

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME DEATH, SOME GORE. PLEASE CONSIDER IT TO BE RATED *T* AT LEAST! This was your warning, so if violence will offend you, please do not read further. I do not wish to offend anyone with unwanted depictions of violence and/or death, if you want a 'clean' version, I can attempt to edit this down to a 'safe' version, although it will lose a lot. If you want a safe version, please PM me.

Finally! Are you ready to find out what happened? Read on! Remember this is what happened THEN.

* * * *

Snake Eyes ghosted house to house. In the quiet normal neighborhood, it was child's play for him to move unseen. When he reached the target house, he slipped around it to enter through a back window, shrouded by a small tree. Once inside, he crouched and listened.

A tv in the front made noise, and somewhere a radio was playing rock music. He could hear a person in the kitchen area, and moved soundlessly towards that area. The intel said there would be one person in the house, the target. If it had been his choice, he would have waited until the early morning hours when he would be in bed, but perhaps intel knew someone else would be coming home later on. He mentally shrugged and looked into a room before he passed it. A small study it looked like. If he had needed to steal information, he'd have gone in and silently perused the office, gathering whatever data he needed. Since his only reason to be here was to kill the target, he passed it by, tempting though it was to try to find more information that might tell him what reasons there were for killing this particular man.

His orders were explicitly clear. "Get in, kill the target, make it look like a botched home invasion, and most importantly, leave no witnesses." That meant no gunfire if he could help it, which meant no sniping through a window. Inside, he could use a bladed weapon, and when he left, he would leave a dangling screen and an open window, after tossing a few drawers to make it seem as if he was interrupted in the process of robbing the house. Given an obvious motive, the local authorities would assume the simplest reason was correct, mark it down as a tragic event, and forget about it within days as other crimes occurred.

He took a slightly deeper breath and moved in to the kitchen area. Crouched behind the counter, he watched in the reflection of the dishwasher front as the man fiddled around with some dishes at the sink. The curtains were all drawn, making it a fairly easy scenario. Snake Eyes lifted up, and grabbed him from behind, easily controlling the first paniced struggles, and reaching around to the front, plunged his knife directly into the man's chest. A quick twist, and the blade found the beating heart and destroyed it. Within a few seconds, the struggles stopped. Quick and as close to painless as he was able to do with a blade, without looking too skilled. Focused on the distasteful task, and already considering which window to leave open, he barely heard the second person enter the kitchen.

Before he could drop the man's body and whirl, his back exploded in pain. His attacker had kicked him in the kidneys, sending him into the kitchen window hard. He reached out in front of himself to block his face from flying glass, but it didn't break, and he bounced off it instead. The flash of confusion at the heavy lexan window made him take a bare second too long to recover and he needed to block the next attack. What was this person doing in the house? Was the intel wrong?

"You killed the bastard, now I'll kill YOU!" He was confronted by a middle aged looking woman, average build, holding a knife in one hand. He counted himself lucky that she didn't have a gun, or he'd already have taken a few bullets, no doubt. Sloppy, he was getting totally sloppy. Storm Shadow would scream at him for hours if he heard about this screw-up.

Defending himself against a few clumsy thrusts of the K-bar she wielded, he waited for an opening to knock her unconscious, his orders of 'no witnesses' notwithstanding, he wasn't going to kill her when she'd only seen a anonymous masked intruder.

"Who sent you? Why don't you bastards just pay up!?!" His confusion at her words, made him hesitate again, and she suddenly launched into a series of very skilled blows, slicing him in several places as he defended himself. He realized he had grossly underestimated her fighting skills, this was no average housewife, about the time she buried the K-bar into his thigh downward. His punch to her forearm was the only thing that prevented her from dragging the blade down, which would have filleted his entire leg open.

This left a knife embedded in him, but rather than stopping when she lost her grip on her weapon, she staggered back only one step, and then threw a kick at his wounded thigh, and then another upward into his neck, stunning him further.

When she leapt at him in an all out attack, he bent slightly and threw an upper kick, feeling the thigh wound tear worse with the knife twisting in it. His foot caught her in the chest and threw her backwards hard. She flew across into the small living room, and landed on a heavy coffeetable, her neck popping with a terribly 'crack'. She slumped down, her head lying at an impossible angle, and her eyes already glazed with death.

He blinked, looking at the second body, he felt a lot of regret, but it was self-defense, there being no way he would have guessed at her skill, or even that she'd be in the house. Intel hadn't warned him there would be anyone here but the target, and especially hadn't mentioned anyone with any fighting skills to speak of, and she'd been at professional levels. He started to step towards her, and caught a slight movement on the narrow stairwell to the right. As he began to turn his head to look, he was already yanking backwards..

*PAIN*

His head jerked violently backwards as the roar of a large caliber handgun filled the room. The blow to the side of his head nearly dropped him cold, and he collapsed to one knee. One hand dropped to snatch the heavy knife from his thigh and he pitched it blindly at the enemy on the stairs blindly, hoping to disable them enough to give him a second to counterattack.

Forcing himself upright, he fumbled his own K-bar loose, and rushed the stairwell, almost stumbling on a small tumbled body at the foot.

He stared downwards at a young boy, perhaps in his early teens.. round surprised face looking blankly up at the ceiling with the blade buried to the hilt in his chest. His throw had been deadly accurate. Blood ran from his fingertips and spattered on the step beside the body, and he stepped backwards. It was just a child.. the handgun laying beside him still clutched in limp fingers looked almost too large for him to fire.

Snake Eyes stepped backwards, shaking his head in horror. What had he done? Bad enough to murder the target under orders.. now... he whirled around at the loud cry from the other room, sending himself crashing to the floor as his surroundings went dark and hazy, dizziness assaulting him. He reached up to touch the side of his head, feeling soft swelling and bloody tissue. His thigh muscles spasmed as he forced himself back to his feet. Mission.. must.. get out.. no witnesses... he turned around.. hearing another cry and moving towards it without thinking.

He stared down at a makeshift crib, an infant less than a year old blinking at him. It cried loudly again, screwing it's chubby face up and wailing. He reached to soothe it, stroking fingers across it's belly, and it quieted.

_No witnesses....._

He shook his head.. an infant was no witness... no one would think a baby would somehow identify the masked intruder..

_Leave no witnesses..._

He stepped backwards. What if Josh came in to check up after him? Would he consider the baby to be a witness? Would he... Snake Eyes looked at the stairwell. If he could kill a boy, Josh would kill an infant. If he left it here..

He bent and scooped up the baby, turning a small circle looking for any ideas. Somehow it made sense to his damaged brain that he should not leave the baby behind.. it needed to be safe.. wasn't a witness... he needed to help it. The ninja slipped out the window before he fully considered where to go. The infant snuggled up to his chest, making a soft gurgle of contentment, uncaring as to his blood-covered disheveled state.

The two houses nearest were dark.. but the third one had a single light on in the living room. Flowers lined the little neat porch, and his traumatized brain equated the neat appearance with safety. Filled with an unreasonable need to find safety for the infant he carried, he booted the front door open, and stepped in.

An older couple jumped up from comfortable armchairs where they'd been watching the tv. The woman covered her mouth in horror and the man waved a hand at him.

"G-g-get out! Who a-a-are you!?" Snake Eyes looked at him blankly, stepping further in as the door swung shut behind him.

"Oh my god!! He has a baby!" The old woman stepped towards him, then stopped, staring in fear as he turned on her. He was dripping blood on their carpet, and stepped back a step onto the wood floor instead. Somehow it seemed impolite to bleed on their living room carpet. "Please!! What do you want!?"

He looked at her blankly, clutching the infant tightly. It began to cry again and he jostled it gently to quiet it. These people would hide it.. he was certain that no one would kill the baby here.. they looked like good people.. he rushed forward, making both of them stumble backwards. Placing the infant on the nearest chair, he gestured at it, pointing at them.

The woman stepped forward hesitantly. "I'll take it.. don't hurt it! Just take whatever you want! Don't hurt the baby!" It began to wail loudly now, and he reached to put a bloody hand on it's head, stroking it twice to quiet it again. "Please! Don't!! Don't hurt it!"

He backed up, and she rushed to grab it up, her husband turning to push both of them back further away from the intruder. When he'd turned around, the door was swinging shut once again, the only sign of the strange encounter, blooddrops on the floor, and the crying infant in his elderly wife's arms.

Snake Eyes was already two blocks away, staggering badly, and trying to stick to the shadows when he was still coherent. He had to get away, get back to the van.. he retched slightly as his head swam. His wounded leg collapsed underneath him repeatedly, and he hauled himself back to his feet by instinct and fear. His world reduced itself to reaching the safety of the van, to escape from this madness, not realizing that now he carried the madness within himself.

* * * *

And now you know.. and knowing is half the battle.

Yes, I've been waiting to use that line for over 30 chapters. Is it the whole story? No, it's what Snake Eyes saw and experienced, so there's more details to emerge. Will it be enough for Hawk to dismiss him, or even kill him? Can he be forgiven.. more importantly can he forgive himself?


	34. Chapter 34

Chap 32

First off, HUGE Kudos to StorySeekr who made me blow Cherry Bawls through my sinuses with her image of Lifeline's Battle Cry : "Not the face! Not the face!!"

Sorry it took extra time to upload, my poor poor spoiled readers.

Now you know what happened.. what will Hawk do? What can he do? Now you know why Snake Eyes has been so tormented.

Thank you for the continuing reviews, and for you all continuing to read. On to the story!

* * * *

Snake Eyes dropped his hands, head bowed to the floor. Hawk was standing over him, his katana blade still gripped in one hand. Now maybe his inner torment would finally stop, if Hawk did what he should...

"Snake Eyes..." Hawk's voice was thick, and he had to clear his throat but found himself unable to continue.

The commando looked at him. *You can kill me now, now you see.. it's the only way..*

Hawk shook his head and stepped backwards. "No.. no.. you don't see how it is.." Psyche-Out moved up beside the General, speaking softly in his ear and then leaving quickly. Hawk clenched his jaw and pointed the sword at him still kneeling on the floor. "Get up. No one is killing you right now." He turned to the doorway. "Duke.. Heavy Duty.. escort Sn... escort the prisoner to a cell." He looked at him impassively as he climbed to his feet, the two soldiers moving to either side. "Snake Eyes, you are hereby placed under arrest, you will accompany these two to a security holding cell, and then you WILL stay there, until I personally come to get you. Do you understand this is a direct order?" He waited until the ninja nodded. "Go. No one talks to him, no one." He glared at the room. "I want a constant guard, within sight of him at all times, and no one is to speak with him, at all."

"Sir, yes sir!" Duke and Heavy Duty nodded, and the lieutenant took one unresisting arm to lead the limping commando out of the room and down the hall, a path appearing through the people crowded into the area.

Ripcord stepped up to the commander who looked down at the bloody tip of the katana in his hand. "Sir.. please.. this wasn't Snakes fault! I was goading him.. I was just joking.. but I just don't know when to shut up.. it's my fault." He held a cold pack to the side of his swollen face.

Hawk looked down at the floor at the remnants of the vintage bike and pointed at it. "Looks like he was pretty much doing his own thing.. unless you have some explanation?"

Ripcord's face fell as he looked at the wreckage, but he drew himself up and faced the commander. "I didn't like that bike anyway. He was just helping me.. uhh... reduce it to parts that I could sell off." He winced at the painfully bad lie.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Really? I think he was a little overenthusiastic, it's more like it's reduced to scrap metal, instead of parts.."

Rip gave a soft groan. "Yes sir.. but Snakes tends to go overboard... " He swallowed. "Please, don't punish him because of this.. I just wanted to joke with him.. make him feel more like the old Snake Eyes.. he's been all down on himself. I didn't know how bad he was feeling inside... if I had realized how tightly he was wound, really.. it's my fault.."

Hawk cut him off abruptly. "Yes, part of him snapping today was your fault. But none of my soldiers should lose control to the point of attacking other teammates, no matter what provocation."

Ripcord protested. "Sir.. guys get into fistfights all the time..." Hawk's raised eyebrow made him rush to add. "I know, this looks worse than just a brawl, but that's only because Snake Eyes is such a badass fighter! He can't help that he does way more damage when he gets into a scrap!"

Hawk held up a hand and then pointed out the door. "That's enough, go to medical, and get treated." Lifeline was nearby and he turned to him. "Go down and check Snake Eyes for serious injury, but I don't want you talking to him, understand me.."

Lifeline shook his head. "No sir. I'll just check him over.." He gave a quick salute and hurried away, passing Doc in the hallway who was giving the other participants quick treatment.

Hawk strode out and motioned at the onlookers. "If you all don't have anything better to do, you can set this room to rights and get this mess cleaned up." He turned to Doc who was shining a light into BeachHead's eyes. "Injury report?"

Doc waved around to the scattered troopers sitting along the hallway walls. "Mostly bruises, Stalker may have cracked ribs, Ripcord has a broken cheekbone and a severe concussion.. lucky he has a hard skull, or he'd be worse off. Flint is still out cold, but he looks okay, probably a concussion too, apparently he bounced his head off the floor pretty hard. LowLight might have a sprained neck. Beach here got the worst of it. Definitely a concussion, at least a couple broken ribs, and I'm pretty certain he broke at least one finger, maybe fractured his wrist also."

The tough sergeant looked up at the general through slightly crossed eyes. "I had 'em, Sir. Another few minutes.. " Hawk grinned at him. "Snakes is a good man, sir. Don't blame him too much for all this mess, I been tempted to beat the snot outa all these lazy layabouts enough times."

Hawk gave him a grim look. "You go get fixed up, let me deal with Snake Eyes." He turned and jerked his chin at the nearby woman. "Lady Jaye, I have work for you. Put those Intel skills to work for me.." He walked off quickly, talking in a low tone to the slender woman trotting at his side.

* * * *

Snake Eyes sat on the floor of the cell. He was politely sitting against the back wall, to make it easier for his guard to keep a watch on him. At the moment it was Clutch, holding a rifle and standing attentively against the far wall across from the door to his cell. Guarding the monster so he couldn't escape, couldn't go berserk again, and maybe kill some of his teammates this time.

He closed his eyes, and tried to control the shivering. The cells were cold at the best of times, buried in the lowest levels of the Pit. His adrenalin was worn off now, and the reaction physically made him chilled, despite his ninja training. Normally he could easily ignore the coldest temperatures, but this cold came both from within and without.

He looked up as Lifeline arrived with a medikit. "I'm here to check him out." Clutch called up for confirmation and then unlocked the cell door for him. "Thanks, it'll just take a minute."

The mechanic nodded shortly. "No talking to him. Be careful, I'll be covering you from the doorway." He locked the door behind the medic.

Lifeline gave him a disgusted look. "He's not going to attack me." Even as he knelt next to the prisoner, he was shaking his head. He opened his mouth to say something to Snake Eyes who shook his head at him. He pressed his lips together, and stayed quiet.

Clutch snorted at him. "It's procedure. But tell that to the dozen guys he put down. I heard he about killed Ripcord and BeachHead."

Lifeline took a deep breath and motioned for Snake Eyes to give him his right arm. As he fastened a blood pressure cuff around it, he talked to Clutch, bypassing the prohibition on talking to the prisoner neatly. "No, Rip and BeachHead will both be fine. No one is near death or anything like that. You should know better than to spread rumors Clutch." He felt the ninja relax slightly, although he couldn't control the shiver that ran through him. He clenched his jaw shut to prevent himself from asking if he was okay. Instead he reached up and gave a slight tug at the mask.

Snake Eyes hesitated briefly before he pulled it off. He refused to meet the medic's eyes, as he quickly felt over his head for injuries. A small cut was cleaned, and he tilted his head up, shining a light into his eyes. The medic tucked his fingers into Snake Eyes hands and tugged slightly. "Squeeze." He did, and turned loose quickly. Then the gentle medic packed up his bag. Reaching over, he handed the mask back to him, and left as he pulled it back on.

Clutch let him out, and Lifeline turned to him. "He's okay physically. I'll go get him a blanket." The mechanic shrugged. He brought it back and handed it over to the guard. Then he turned and left, not looking back, or saying anything. Snake Eyes sat in place as Clutch pushed the cloth through the bars and tossed it across the room to him. Reaching out, he pulled the blanket to him, but then left it sitting beside him instead of using it. Lowering his gaze to the floor he closed his eyes and shivered slightly, trying to bring himself to a centered state of being.

He'd lost control totally. Well, not totally, or there would have been body bags, not minor injuries. Still his outburst only showed him how much of a monster he had become. Was it that he'd become a monster, or was it that his true nature had been present forever, and he'd only fooled himself, covering up the beast with a civil outer shell? Remembering himself hitting Stalker he took a deep breath. His oldest friend here, and he'd still attacked him. Much of the fight was a blur to his memory. He remembered screaming at himself inside, when he found himself advancing on the unarmed medic. He closed his eyes.

_Lifeline held out a hand to him, talking quickly, although the words were a mumbled roar in his ears. He started towards him, weaving slightly to confuse his opponent, to make certain he could get a first fatal blow in quickly.._

_*No! Lifeline.. medic..*_

_He snarled at the inner voice, taking out a target was important, not identifying threat levels, he was death, he was.._

_*Not Lifeline.. no threat..* He paused, the inner voice finally regaining some amount of control. *No threat.. back.. stop..* He was fighting his trained responses, his body wanted to move forward, to snap the unresisting limbs, reduce him to a non-threat.._

_*Not a threat.. Lifeline...* He stepped backwards, fighting his nature/nurture/training.. a new voice made him whirl, instincts taking over again._

_The new threat stood all too near, aggressive stance, boldly challenging, he drew his katana, beginning to focus his attention on an attack sequence to take him out.._

_*HAWK!!* _

_His body tensed, instantly the aggression drained away, steps away from the killing thrust would have happened. *Hawk will end this* He whirled the blade around, giving the instrument of his own death to the only fully trusted commander he had ever had._

Snake Eyes opened his eyes again, looking at the floor through his visor. His chest contracted painfully and he blinked. What if he'd not stopped? If only Hawk would have dealt him his deserved death blow, he could have been out of the misery. But his commanding officer would most likely go by the book, trying him for the horrible crimes, and then locking him away in a tightly guarded cell. He knew without doubt that he could escape any cell they had. At some point they would relax, not knowing the true nature of a real ninja, and he would slip the cage, and then.. he would run. Hawk's orders would only bind him as long as he was his commanding officer.

* * * *

Hawk held the file Lady Jaye had given him. She nodded at his expression. "I don't know what those guys were into.. but.."

He grimaced. "I knew Forsyth was into something dirty.. I didn't realize how low the man would stoop." He looked at the pages again. "Snake Eyes wasn't just a pawn.. he was supposed to be sacrificed to put me into the bull's eye." His expression was grim. "Lady Jaye, as always, you've been invaluable. No one else would have collected this amount of information this quickly."

She looked sheepish. "Actually.. I already was on the trail. A certain young woman on our team is very adept at finding papers where they've been secreted away. Snake Eyes is OUR operative, and if he was being used by another team, I figured sooner or later you'd want to know what for, and where. Today I received the last bits that put the whole puzzle together."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Anticipating what I need is just another proof that you're the best." He turned. "Cover Girl.. find Psyche-Out.. we need to have a discussion. Lady Jaye, get me hard copies of everything, and originals where possible. Forsyth and I will be having a discussion very soon."

The attractive tank driver opened the office door and beckoned. The team psychologist walked in immediately. He looked eager. "General.. I have an idea..."

* * * *

End Chap.

What did they find? Will he ever be right mentally again? Is there forgiveness for what he's done? Was he at fault?

In truth, there was nothing else he could have done, but will they convince him of it? And what the heck were those scummy guys up to in the first place?


	35. Chapter 35

Chap 33

Not a lot of reviews, I believe I've stunned some readers! Hawk resolves most of the issues, and you get to find out the REST of the story behind Snake Eye's last mission.

Note: TunnelRat is not a teenager. Since this is based on comic canon, he's a Brooklyn native, and an adult member of team GI Joe. Don't expect him to eat bugs or act like an idiot. He's a wonderful useful character who was MAULED by that cartoon, sadly.

This is really getting close to the end!! Are you ready for it to finally be over?

Thanks for reading! Here's the chapter!

* * * *

After hours in the cold cell, Snake Eyes still shivered, but he really was more numb and exhausted. The guard had been replaced twice. Now Tunnel Rat stood attentively, gripping his rifle tightly and looking upset. Right after he'd taken over, Snake Eyes distinctly heard him apologize softly. He guessed since he was looking down at the floor, it wasn't supposed to count as talking to the prisoner. He hadn't shown any sign of having heard.

His head snapped up at the sound of footsteps approaching. Hawk came into view and he stood up, but stayed at the far back of the cell. Tunnel Rat came to attention and was nodded at by the general.

Standing in front of the door, Hawk gazed in at his errant commando. "Open the door."

"Yessir." With a minimum of fumbling, the soldier got the cell unlocked.

"Snake Eyes.. follow me. Tunnel Rat, take rear guard, if he tries to escape, shoot him in the leg." There was no nonsense in Hawk's voice, and he turned and walked back up the hallway, assuming all would follow his orders. Snake Eyes did not hesitate to step out, following three steps behind.

Swallowing nervously, Tunnel Rat hefted the rifle and fell in behind. "Yes sir." Hawk led them up to a meeting room and gestured Snake Eyes to one end. Tunnel Rat stationed himself at the door. Already in the room were Lady Jaye, Psyche-Out and Duke.

The general seated himself, shuffled the papers into place, and then looked at Snake Eyes standing at attention at the end of the table. "At ease." After the commando relaxed, he continued. "I think it's time you knew the whole story." He gestured to Lady Jaye.

She picked up the first file. "First, you were not selected at random. General Forsyth deliberately chose one of Hawk's most trusted, but most unknown soldiers. They sent you on the first assassinations just to prime you for the main mission. The early ones were eliminating people that either General Forsyth or Lieutenant Gance needed gone for personal reasons." Snake Eyes shifted uneasily, and General Hawk raised an eyebrow and he quieted immediately.

Lady Jaye continued. "The main focus, and the reason they wanted you in particular, was your last mission. The 'couple' in that house were not man and wife, but a pair of operatives. In fact, they were kidnappers, and the infant you secreted away.." Snake Eyes startled visibly.

General Hawk spoke up. "We know everything that happened, and details you were not privy to. Please continue Jaye."

She nodded and laid out prints of small newspaper articles. "The kidnapped infant was the daughter of the niece of a rival general. We're certain that he was involved with setting up the kidnapping in the first place. Further digging found that the house is owned by Lieutenant Gance's step-sister.. although, she's never lived there. The main section of the building was reinforced with bulletproof Lexan windows." She pushed a schematic of the nondescript looking home across the table. "You were to have either killed everyone involved, gotten killed in the process of taking out one or more of the kidnappers, or at the least, taken the fall when it all was said and done with. The thing they did not anticipate was both your removing the infant, and.." She looked down at the paper instead of at him. He felt his chest tighten.. they all knew... he took an involuntary step backwards.

Hawk lifted his chin, locking gazes with him. His low voice immobilized him. "Be still." The ninja stood, wanting to be anywhere but here.

Lady Jaye waited until Hawk nodded for her to continue. "The thing they did not count on, was you killing the boy. By the way, he was a junior marksman.. and he already had a second round chambered.. he would definitely have killed you, and nearly had already. All three were Cobra operatives, the boy was their version of a ROTC, and both adults were Crimson Guardsmen." She flipped over photos of uniforms and Cobra emblem marked files. "Lieutenant Gance was stationed within a few blocks of your extraction vehicle, and after you arrived back, he went in to make sure of the infant.. but you'd removed it. He bugged out rather than do a door-to-door to search for it. The couple you left her with called the police almost immediately. The patrol cars arriving may have helped to panic Lieutenant Gance also."

Duke spoke up now, taking over smoothly. "Because you didn't follow their expectations, they were scrambling to try to find a way to salvage things. The way it was supposed to go was.. you go in, kill the adults, or at least the man. Then either the boy or the woman and boy are set to kill you, or at least drive you off. They could murder the infant, and blame you, and thus implicate General Hawk. To make sure the baby died, Gance was to go in afterwards, make sure the scene was set, and that they had gone through with it. If you were.. disabled in the attack, Gance would have finished you as well. But, when he went in, all his witnesses were dead, you hadn't left any evidence of being there, it looked more like they had a internal conflict between themselves. No infant in the house, so the entire set-up was busted. Then he spooked, and couldn't locate the baby who was only three houses away." He watched the commando's body posture continue to tense, and he turned to Hawk.

The general now leaned forward. "They didn't even have video of you entering or exiting the house.. they had nothing that didn't either point to the operatives, or to one of them. In the meantime, the police had the infant. The baby was returned to her parents, safe and unharmed." He watched Snake Eyes practically twitching with the need to speak up. "Permission to speak freely, soldier."

Snake Eyes raised his hands, but took a moment to actually begin to sign. *Good that the baby is safe.. but I still...* He stopped and restarted. *Are you forgetting I killed..* Again he stopped. *I killed a child.. an innocent. It is unforgivable..*

Psyche-Out leaned forward. "I want to ask you a question, but I want you to think about it honestly, before you answer." He waited until Snake Eyes nodded. "The 'boy' was fourteen, not as young as he appeared. If that boy had shot Scarlett in the head, and was about to pull the trigger on her a second time, would you take him down? Or would you let him pull the trigger?"

They all watched him struggle. *That would be different. I would not allow a teammate to be killed if I could prevent it.. no matter who was threatening their life.*

Psyche-Out nodded. "But your own life is worth less than her life?" He only waited a moment for him to ponder that. "Now.. think about this, honestly... if Stalker came to you, and told you he had done exactly as you did in this situation.. would you think he deserved to die? For saving his own life, not even knowing that he was facing a child because he'd just been shot in the head? Would you despise him for it?" Snake Eyes looked frustrated but shook his head. "Then why do you believe that we should all despise you for doing the same thing?"

Snake Eyes started to turn away, and Hawk spoke up again, pinning him in place. "Be still." It was hard to watch him in pain, and unable to let him avoid it. The psychologist had been right, without lancing to drain the self-destructive thoughts, there could be no healing.

Now Psyche-Out asked him again. "What makes you more than us? Are you held to a higher standard than any of the other Joes? Higher standards than General Hawk.. or Duke? BeachHead?"

Unable to restrain himself, Snake Eyes stepped forward and began to sign quickly, spilling his words so quickly he threatened to blur the individual words together.

*I am held to a higher standard.. to different standards. My training made me a killer.. it made me into death, controlled only by my own will, commanded at the whim of the Army now, no one in this team is more capable of taking a life than I am. I should have identified the threat as a child, caused a disabling wound rather than death. I should have known the mission was a set up, should have figured out it was all wrong, that I didn't belong there, that Hawk wouldn't dismiss me, that it was a child.. * He closed his eyes, and suddenly reached up to drag the mask off for the first time. Ignoring the intake of breath of the other people in the room, he gestured towards his disfigured face.

*I wear a mask to spare people looking at my face, to spare them seeing the monster they work alongside of, the horror that walks beside them. I wear the mask to hide myself from them, from knowing my true nature, knowing I am a killer, a murderer, a...* He reached up to cover his face for an instant before he continued. *Would Duke have killed all three people in that house? Would Lady Jaye have shot down anonymous people for no reason other than her currant commanding officer ordered her to? Would Scarlett have... have killed a boy because he was part of a conspiracy of evil people? Did I do something monstrous? Or did I follow my true nature, because I am a monster?*

Psyche-Out began to speak and Snake Eyes gestured angrily at him. *Don't give me platitudes, and you asked me to be honest in my answers, you be honest in your answers!* His gestures became even sharper. *Tell me true, if you were told by a strange new officer to shoot down a man for no reason given to you, from hiding, as a sniper.. would you kill them?*

The doctor shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Yesss. I... I think that I would. Despite my status as a doctor, I am an Army soldier also. But.. but I would beat myself up over it also. And I would question my own soul afterwards. The same as you're doing now. I just don't have as many excuses as to why I would consider myself evil."

The ninja almost exploded into sign. *Excuse? I did almost everything wrong possible! I had one opportunity after another to derail the disaster before it happened. I should have talked to Hawk before I left the Pit, I should have refused to join their team, I should have refused the first assassination mission, I should have left and come back to talk directly to Hawk, or left altogether, instead of staying and following a madman's orders.*

Duke shook his head. "If you had refused, he would have gotten someone else to do it. You aren't the only sniper, the only commando, not even the only Joe he could have snitched from us. If you had refused, the other person may have fallen into the exact plan they had laid out, and not only would the baby have been killed, but Hawk would have been implicated.. and the whoever it was would have been charged with the crime or killed outright by one of their team to silence them. All of GI Joe are military, and despite BeachHead's grumblings, they are all trained to follow orders. Everyone understands that soldiers have to do ugly things sometimes, to serve the greater good. Don't you dare try to put yourself above all the rest of us. We all have the same moral and ethical decisions. You may have had more of them in one go than many of us have to consider in an entire career, but it doesn't make it more important or less important than any of our own dilemmas."

Lady Jaye spoke up in a softer tone. "I'm intelligence, Snakes, you know how trained I am in manipulating people to think what I want them to think. General Forsyth is levels above me, he's a specialist in making people believe what he tells them. You were used by him, and manipulated by him, to do what he wanted you to do. The man is a master at it, and hasn't got any morals or ethics to prevent him from twisting your mind around to do exactly what he wanted, and even to make you feel guilty that you did it. You followed orders, and you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and bad things happened. You couldn't have done anything different at the time, and hindsight will always be 20/20."

Hawk watched him shaking as he fitted all the new facts and ideas into his own memories. "Snake Eyes.. your teammates will forgive you all your actions. You're the only one that's holding out." He watched the visible realization click finally.

Snake Eyes bare face revealed his stunned expression. Then he suddenly became very chagrined. *I just beat up half of GI Joe.*

Hawk smiled suddenly. "Not quite half, just a fairly large number. But.. you didn't seriously injure anyone, and I'm sure that Ace is very relieved that you held back from killing any of them, especially Ripcord. At this point, he'd be in debt for a year to pay off the betting pool. Although I'm equally sure some of the recruits sort of wish you'd done more damage to BeachHead." Snake Eyes covered his face in embarrassment. "As Ripcord pointed out to me, other Joes have gotten into fights over lesser issues, without the underlying stresses you've been dealing with. The only difference is that you do more damage, and it takes more people to stop you."

The commando shook his head. *I nearly killed a dozen Joes.. I nearly killed our pacifist medic... I threatened you with a sword... how can you say it's the same as CoverGirl swinging a punch at Clutch in the motorpool?*

Duke held up his hands. "Should we give more days of K.P. duty to Roadblock for punching someone, than we would give Lady Jaye for punching the same person? It's the same offense, despite the results. This... errr... outburst... was a provoked fight in my opinion."

Now Snake Eyes ducked his head. *Ripcord is not a bad person...*

Hawk leaned back. "No, and funny enough, he told me the same thing about you. He wanted to take full blame for the whole thing. At this point, I'll put both of you on punishment detail, although I think on different shifts, just to be safe. You will still be seeing Psyche-Out, and I think that Ripcord is going to attend a few sensitivity classes." He sat up and gathered the pages together to hand to Lady Jaye, who began to put them in order. "Now.. can I assume that this is resolved?" He got a slight nod. "And there is to be no retaliation on your part towards anyone on Forsyth's team, nor towards Forsyth. And that's a direct order. Is that understood?"

Snake Eyes brought himself to attention and snapped a salute, giving a sharp nod in reply. Hawk looked satisfied.

Shifting uneasily, Snake Eyes gestured again. *Could I make a request?* The general nodded warily. *Private Nichols does not belong with that group. Could you possibly look into having him transferred to a better unit?*

Duke exchanged a long look with Hawk before he turned to the ninja. "Do you vouch for him?" Snake Eyes nodded. "I'll see to a transfer for him, once I get his full records, I'm sure I can find a unit somewhere that's more suitable for him."

Hawk nodded grimly. "Do it fast. General Forsyth won't have a unit much longer, once I get this information to the appropriate people." He sighed and looked at Snake Eyes. "Have we resolved a few issues?" He was given a nod. "Consider yourself confined to quarters until tomorrow morning. Dismissed. Tunnel Rat, escort him to his quarters, and make sure dinner is brought to him. No guard on the door."

Tunnel Rat, privy to the entire exchange and just about to swallow his tongue, nodded and spoke up. "Yessir. Understood, sir."

* * * *

End chapter

Grrr... don't you just want to go BEAT those scumbags? Does it look like Snakes will finally be able to forgive himself, and deal with those inner demons finally? Will his teammates forgive him too? Will he EVER get off KP duty after this?

Your reviews have really made writing and posting this a pleasure! Thank you for them!


	36. Chapter 36

Oh, we are at the end! This is mostly Snakes inner thoughts.. he's dealing with it all now, his inner monster has been quieted, he can deal with his teammates, and a glimpse of the past.

Thank you for the reviews! Please feel free to continue, I always love new ideas, insights as to how people see my stories, and opinions on my writing. AND.. this chapter once again, there's a little extra offered in the author's note at the end.

* * * *

Chap 34

The walk to his quarters was a long one, although he'd replaced his mask before leaving the room, he felt as if everyone stared at him the entire way. When he reached his door, he stepped through, but Tunnel Rat stopped him before he closed the door.

The short ragged man scratched his neck a little before he spoke up. "I jus' wanted ta say.. I'da beat the snot outa Ripcord too. A'course.. mosta the resta the guys would have squished me like a bug.. but.. he had it comin', way I heard." Snake Eyes gestured thank you to him. "Alright.. I'll bring ya dinner later on."

Snake Eyes stopped him from leaving. *Could you find out from Doc how everyone is? If anyone is hurt badly?* The 'Rat agreed easily and left, shutting the door firmly behind him. While it was a punishment to be confined to quarters, it was more of a relief to him, at the moment. He paced across the room a few times, thinking. Then he changed clothes to get rid of the mussed and bloodstained outfit. Laying down on his bunk, he stared at the ceiling and thought some more.

Finally he gave up and went to his desk, pulling out paper and pen. Then he sat and tapped the pen on the paper thinking even more. Finally he began to write.

_Ripcord,_

_I'm sorry I attacked you..._

He paused and tore that page off and wadded it up.

_My friend,_

_I hope that you're not angry..._

He sighed and looked at that, before tearing it off as well.

_I'm kind of sorry I tried to knock your head off your body, but you really ticced me off._

Ripping that page loose, he tossed it aside, smiling just a little bit. Then he tapped the pen on the paper again, before making another attempt.

* * * *

A couple hours later, there was a tap at the door, and he walked over to push the intercom twice, kicking aside the drifts of wadded paper littering his floor.

"Hey, Snake Eyes.. it's me.. I got dinner." Tunnel Rat's voice barely made it through the door and he twisted his head on his neck, then picked up his mask to pull on before opening the door. "Gotcha everything good. Roadblock ain't cooking, but it ain't half bad anyways."

Giving the covered plate a sniff, Snake Eyes gestured at him. *All bad instead?*

'Rat laughed and shook his head. "Aww naw, it's pretty decent, fer messhall cooks. I went by da informary too. Doc said to pass on the idear that he'd gonna yell at ya a whole lot, on accounta he has to put up wit' BeachHead all night. And also that if'n ya messed up yer leg any, he's gonna break it fer ya just so he can reset it crooked." Snake Eyes shook his head and shrugged ruefully. "Ya, I figured ya wouldn't be all that over-worried about it, but hey, I gotta pass on what the Doc says, otherwise, he'll go sayin' I gotta get more shots. I ain't about all dem needles and such." The commando nodded. "Ya need anyt'ing else? I can go fetch whatever, but I ain't on guard duty at yer door or nuthin', so speak now or ya know, don't gripe laters."

Snake Eyes shook his head, gesturing *Thank you* at him again.

Tunnel Rat grinned. "Yeah, fagetta 'bout it. It's nuthin'. Don't worry about nuthin', ever'one will be cool about it. Aww.. well, 'ceptin' BeachHead, he ain't cool 'bout nuthin'."

He hesitated slightly, but then signed. *I can always hang him up in the rafters again.*

That made the short guy laugh. "Yaa! I'll tell 'em, and next time, ya can hang him up t'ere without no shorts neither. That'd bring 'im up short."

Snake Eyes winced theatrically. *It's supposed to punish BeachHead.. not me. Thank you.*

Still grinning, his teammate walked down to hallway, and Snake Eyes shut his door again. He poked at the dinner, but he didn't have much appetite, and put the cover back on it mostly uneaten. Seated at his desk again, he began trying again to write an apology note that didn't sound ridiculously stupid. Within a few minutes, there was a second knock at his door.

Tapping the intercom twice, he waited and heard Scarlett outside. He whipped the door open and she gasped. "Snakes! I heard all kinds of wild stories.. are you okay?" She started to come in and he blocked her with one arm. "What? I can't come in?"

He gestured to the hallway ruefully. *I'm confined to quarters until tomorrow morning. You can't come in. Hawk's orders.*

She narrowed her eyes. "You can't leave your quarters, but that doesn't prohibit me from coming in them." He tilted his chin down to give her the 'stern gaze' she hated. "Well.. technically it doesn't!" He wagged a finger at her.

*You know how it works. It's not very much punishment if friends come in to keep me company, much less... more than friends.* He watched her sigh. *Hawk's orders. I'm lucky he didn't dismiss me from GI Joe, it's one night. Then I'll probably be on K.P. until the end of time.*

She crossed her arms. "So you're not going to tell me what happened?" He threw his hands up. "Now you listen to me, you big.. "

*I want you to be here, and I want to talk to you, but I'm confined to quarters. I'm not supposed to be talking to you. Go talk to everyone else in the Pit, they all know by now. I'm probably the laughing-stock of the whole base.* He started to close the door, but she put a hand on it, and he stopped. Even going against Hawk's orders, he couldn't shut the door in her face. He sighed and looked at her.

"Are you okay?" She gazed into his eyes, taking in his somber expression. Even though the scars took away a lot of his ability to express his feelings on his face, she could read him after so long. "I mean it.. are YOU okay? Really?"

He nodded, realizing just then the truth of the matter. *I'm getting there. My friends will help me make it, and you'll help me too...* He smiled at her with regret. *... in the morning when I'm not confiiiiiiined to quarters.* His drawing out of the one sign made her smile back at him.

"Okay okay.. don't be pushy. Close the door before you get in trouble. I'll see you in the morning." He closed the door softly, and moved back to the desk. Picking up the pen once again, he began to write.

_Dear friend,_

_I'm so very sorry I let my temper get the better of me. I know you did not mean to be hurtful, and if I had allowed my friends to help me to begin with, I would not have been in such a state as to fly off the handle at you over a minor insult that happens to be true. I hope that you will forgive me my rash actions, and that you did not take any serious hurt. I'll replace your poor motorcycle too, as I am afraid it is not repairable, from the little I remember from earlier. I know you put a lot of work into it, and I'm very sorry about that also._

_Snake Eyes_

He looked at it, and set the pad aside. Putting his chin in one hand, he pushed a bead of water from his drinking glass around the desktop aimlessly. He considered writing BeachHead a note, or Stalker, but he decided that nothing would appease BeachHead other than some serious punishment. He'd probably end up cleaning the living quarters with a rutabaga or something similarly horrible. And Stalker would just bring the note back and berate him for an hour over how friends didn't need to say they were sorry.

His teammates would forgive him his outburst faster than he forgave himself. After all, they all had little spats and squabbles at times. His outburst just was further reaching, and more severe.. and destroyed entire workrooms.. and vehicles.. and tools. He thumped his head down onto his desk. That felt pretty good, so he thumped it a few more times for good measure, before leaving his head laying on the cool wooden surface.

He was just stupid. He wished Tommy was around to kick him around the dojo a few times for being dumb. His sword brother had always been eager to do that for him when needed. Here in the Joes, the only person capable of even coming close to beating him up was Scarlett, and she was too kind to do it when he needed it.

Sitting in his room alone normally was a pleasure, and he could meditate, or write reports, or catch up on missed sleep even. Right now, his head hurt from the leftover trauma from being shot, his sinuses throbbed from being down in the cold cell, and his neck was stiff from all the tension of the day. Add to that his whole body ached from the tremendous strain he'd put it under during the fight, and his right cheekbone was swollen and bruised because BeachHead had unerring aim for a cheekbone if he punched you in the face. He really hated that about his fellow sergeant.

He deserved to feel a lot worse. Some of his friends were hurting a lot worse, due directly to his actions. He scraped one foot back and forth on the floor idly. Everything would be awkward, and the rest of the team would all look at him sideways, wondering if he was trustworthy for a while at least. And because it was his own stupid fault that they would do it, he wouldn't be able to justify hiding in his room and avoiding everyone.. nooo, he'd have to make the extra effort to spend time with the others, to eat in the messhall, work on repairs, not to mention K.P. duty. Then he would be screamed at and put through the wringer by BeachHead until the staff sergeant felt better about having his butt handed to him in a one-on-one fight. And instead of intimidating Beach with deadly glares and fingering of bladed weapons to make him back down, he would have to put up with it and go through whatever amount of PT he was assigned, without complaint.

Then there was Psyche-Out. He breathed one long breath of air out. Not only would he have to go talk about all his guilty feelings and misgivings about people and their reactions to him and what he'd done... noooo, he'd have to do it while the guy sat there looking smug because he'd been oh-so-right about everything. So he was feeling miserable and out of sorts, and quite sorry for himself. Or in other terms, stupid.

The only bright side in all of this was that Scarlett had not been present, and thus had not been one of the ones trying to stop him, and hadn't witnessed it herself. She was also the best person in the whole wide world, even including Stalker who was awfully patient with him too but didn't have the added sex appeal. He made a mental note to never use that phrasing with Stalker, as he really didn't need another bruised cheekbone. Scarlett would hug him and make him feel better, and let him whine about how hard life was right now........ and then she would tell him he was being a over-dramatic whiney-baby and punch him really hard right in that nerve bundle in your shoulder that made your hand go tingley. But somehow she punched him with a lot of love behind it. Or leverage.. either way, it hurt but it also kind of told him she really cared. And she would feel bad usually and kiss him to make up for it.

He puffed out a sigh and turned his head on the desk to gaze at a photograph only inches from his nose. He had precious few pictures around, but there were two on his desk he'd dragged around for years. The first and oldest showed him flanked on either side by Tommy Arashikage and Stalker. They were all in jungle gear, holding weapons and looking as cocky as only young fresh invincible soldiers could look.

That had been before all the heartache had begun. He'd still been hopeful towards his life, thinking he would do his handful of years in the Army for his country, get a medal maybe and go home to his family, to a girlfriend someday who would become his wife, raise kids, have a house.. a normal life. The picture had been taken before he'd been shot down like a dog in that hot L.Z. and dragged back to the chopper by Tommy. Before his family had been killed in a car wreck, leaving him no where to turn. Before the Arashikage clan had taken him in and taught him the secrets of ninja. Before his sword brother had run away, the clan had fractured in the wake of the Hard Master's death. Before he became a death dealer, trying to hunt down the same sword brother who had saved him twice over, once in that stinking country covered in his own blood, and once from his own despair and loss.

He poked the picture aside so he could look at the second and only other photograph of himself. He touched the surface of the glass with one finger, touching Scarlett's face as she smiled hugely into the camera lens forever. Stalker had been making bunny ears over her head, while his own arm was around her shoulders. Despite all the loss at that point in his life, he'd regained a little bit of happiness. You couldn't tell in the poor quality picture, but he'd only had a few scars tracking across his face from the injuries he picked up in that jungle L.Z. As in the other photo, his face happened to be shadowed by his ever present boonie hat. Stalker used to tease him about the beat up hat, claiming he'd had the same one since he'd enlisted. It hadn't been true, he'd replaced the silly thing often enough as guys seemed to think it a grand joke to steal it from him.

Scarlett had seemed like such a wonderful creature to him. He'd just begun to feel serious about their relationship, to be ready to admit that he was in sappy real thick-blooded love with her. He touched the spot where his face should have been, the shadowed vague shape in the grainy photograph that showed him 'before'.

There were occasions when he forgot what he had looked like before the helicopter crash. Times when he couldn't remember what his voice had sounded like. Not that he'd used his voice that often in the first place. Right after the accident he used to wonder if it was some sort of divine punishment, that since he hardly used his voice, some greater power decided to take it away.

He poked the picture in it's frame and tipped it over so he wasn't looking at it anymore. With his head laying on the desk, he blinked into the dim light of his room, not focusing on anything in particular. Putting one hand on his throat, he opened his mouth and tried to say the words he regretted most never uttering before his voice was taken away. As always, the pain tore at him, and he was silent, only the sound of his expelled breath exited his lips.

The only thing he regretted truly.. that he could never say. His hand came up and he signed into the empty room.

*I love you Shana*

* * * *

End chapter

*sniffle* This was going to be "The End". But there will be epilogue also. I hope that you've enjoyed the run, and yes, the last chapter will tell what happens to the bad guys.

BONUS: If you can tell me where that "'cleaning the living quarters with a rutabaga or something similarly horrible'" reference comes from, I'll write you something special.


	37. Chapter 37

Epilogue:

This is the last chapter. I have to say I'm terribly pleased with this story! I hope that you guys enjoyed it, and I hope you'll keep an eye out for the next story!

If you have comments or suggestions, please leave a review, or PM me. I've greatly enjoyed your reviews!

And finally, here's the end...

* * * *

Snake Eyes sat on a upturned bucket in the kitchen. Hunched over a garbage can, he was studiously peeling potatoes, which was the most clichéd punishment you could mention in the Army. And one of the mess cook's favorite things to do to the men assigned to KP duty as discipline issues.

He glanced over as one of the helpers picked up the full pot to his right. Sighing, he looked at his currant fifty pound bag of unpeeled to his left. Gloves off, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, wearing a stained cloth apron, he was the picture of misery. Just to add a little humiliation, he was fully visible from the mess line where his fellow Joe's were filing by for lunch. A few shouted jibs were largely ignored by the ninja. When he'd had enough, he pitched a large potato at the shouter, and knocked him cleanly off his feet. After that, the ninja was allowed to do his kitchen penance in peace.

Sam the head cook walked over and looked down at him. "You getting 'em done pretty slow, no?" He rolled his eyes and shrugged. "You take too long, maybe I have you do the ones for hash browns tomorrow morning too, hey?" Slumping just a little lower, he made an effort to peel faster. "Good boy. You like to mess with all them ninja blades, you should like working with the paring knife too, hey?" He turned away, and Snake Eyes glared up at the back of the man's head, pointing the tip of the paring knife at it and twisting it in his line of sight. When the cook turned around, he was back to peeling innocently however, and the man could only stare suspiciously at him. The laughter from front of kitchen made him turn to see Duke walking in.

Snake Eyes jumped to his feet to stand at attention quickly at the lieutenant's approach. Duke grinned at him in his apron and shook his head ruefully. "As you were. I think I need a camera." He was glared at, and Snake Eyes gracefully slid back down onto his bucket, seating himself facing deliberately away from him. Taking the hint, Duke turned to the cook instead. "Is he working alright for you? No trouble?"

Sam grinned hugely. "Yaa, Top. He's better than most of the grunts you send me. As long as I keep a spud in one of his hands and a peeler in the other, he can't back-talk me at all." Duke winced, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. The ninja glared over his shoulder and shifted his back even more to him, swiping the skin from the vegetable with short quick movements. Sam reached to give him a swat to his back in a friendly manner. "He's still grumpy, I let him know that we're having a bumper crop of taters brought in just for him." A loud snort sounded, and both men grinned.

Duke took a deep breath. "As long as it's going fine, I have to go check on more important things. Snake Eyes.." The commando looked around at him. "Stay out of trouble." He was given a mocking salute. Duke was still chuckling as he walked out. Snake Eyes watched him go and plotted what items the lieutenant would be missing from his office come morning, once he'd given his apprentices their evening assignments.

* * * *

BeachHead stood at the finish line of his latest obstacle course. Glancing at the stopwatch he held in his hand, he took a deep breath to yell. "WHERE'S THE NINJA AT?!?" Another few seconds went by, and finally a black-clad body came tumbling over the final upright wall and fell onto the dirt, rolled and came to it's feet. As Snake Eyes stumbled over the finish line, the sergeant major tcched at him, pressing the button to stop the timer. "That was PATHETIC!"

Chest heaving, and every inch of clothing soaked through and filthy, the commando wheezed for breath and bent over. After a moment he straightened and stood while BeachHead railed at him about the poor time, poor performance and poor discipline he was showing.

"... and here I thought that so-called ninja training was supposed to make you TOUGH! What a joke!" Snake Eyes' act of rolling his eyes set off another tirade. "You think this is no big deal?! I'll tell you what's no big deal! Washing you out of this program on account of you not being able to run a simple obstacle course in a decent time! That's no big deal!!"

Now the ninja signed back at him. *I ran it in under your required time the first fifteen times you made me do it.*

BeachHead stalked over to him to glare from two inches in front of his nose. "Do you think I'm making you do too much?" His dangerous tone made Snake Eyes nervous. He'd been busting his butt for two weeks already.

He shook his head but signed. *No one can do the course twenty times in a row and get better times each run. I'm trying here.* BeachHead opened his mouth to yell and Snake Eyes signed quickly. *I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I said it fifty times. How many times do I have to say it before you forgive me?*

BeachHead glared at him hard. "This ain't about you being sorry! This is about getting you back in prime condition!" He paced back and forth for a minute. "You lost almost all of your conditioning between being gone, and being on medical status. Right now, you go haring off on a typical mission, and you'll fall on your butt! Psyche-Out told me you're getting cleared for full duty, and you AIN'T at peak conditioning yet!" The commando shifted uneasily. Suddenly the sergeant turned and gestured him to follow. They walked along the course towards the open desert surroundings. Once they passed the obstacles, BeachHead broke into a jog, and after a few minutes of running, he started to talk again.

"I'm not being Sergeant Hardass cause I'm mad that you kicked my butt all over the Pit. I know that's what you think, and I know that you been bustin' your butt to show me I can't break you." Snake Eyes was a little startled. "I'm not an idiot. I know what's going on around me, I been doing this a while you know." The stocky soldier ran a few minutes before he continued. "You came back from that bunch of garbage in lousy shape, not only mentally.. but physically. I don't know why you were so far out of condition, but it doesn't matter. Then you were also wounded and that took a long time to get healed, so you could start getting your condition back, and you're too danged stubborn to eat when you should, and too danged hard-headed to listen when you done got your dander up. So I figured I'd ride you hard until you got so mad, you'd work twice as hard to get back in shape just to show me up."

They both ran on, little puffs of dust raising up with each step, pacing each other. Snake Eyes finally gestured to him.

*Sorry, I have been working hard, but it's been difficult to train when the doctors wouldn't clear me to do anything. I want to be back in the best shape, but it's been slow.* He reached up to twitch his mask over slightly, feeling sweat running down his neck. His normal black commando attire wasn't the best to wear out in the full sun in the desert midday. But they ran the courses in full battle gear, there being no real benefit in learning to run obstacles in jogging shorts and tennis shoes. Half the time they had to run it wearing full gear packs and carrying loaded rifles.

BeachHead heaved a sigh and came to a stop. Standing with his hands on his hips, he finally turned to the ninja. "Look. I'm not mad about all that stuff. But I'm not gonna take it easy on you, especially not if you're gonna sulk around and not put out the best effort. You get off your duff and work as hard as you can, and I'll stop riding you about being a lazy bastard. Got it?" He glared at Snake Eyes now, waiting for an answer.

*Deal.*

BeachHead gave a satisfied nod, and turned to head off at a run again. Snake Eyes sagged briefly before running to catch up again.

He signed at him. *How far are we going to run?*

BeachHead grinned evilly at him. "Until you fall down and puke. I figure that'll be far enough for today.. then we'll run back."

Snake Eyes sighed and picked up the pace. *What doesn't kill me...*

BeachHead caught the signing and grinned wider under his balaclava. "What doesn't kill you means I ain't trying hard enough yet. Double time it!! Move it ninja-boy!"

* * * *

Scarlett smiled at him laying on his bed. She was rubbing his back and shoulders, trying to loosen up the many knots and strains for him. "Lover, you're one giant ball of knots. What happened today?"

He puffed out a breath and turned his head to the side to look up at her out of one reddened eye. He had to pull his hands free of the sheets to make the signs at her.

*KP duty for half the day, then BeachHead dragged me all over the obstacle course twenty times.. then he dragged me two million miles out into the desert until I puked up lunch. Then he made me run all the way back.. at double time. By the time we got back I thought I would die. Then he made me do the course again.*

Scarlett made sympathetic noises at him, digging her knuckles into a tight knot. He winced and she felt the muscles shift. "Poor baby."

*I'm so tired. I'm never going to get back into shape.* She hummed softly. *Beach wants me to do the morning runs, and now he's adding an hour of working out, plus the afternoon stuff. I think I'm going to die, and then he's going to make my dead body run the obstacle course one last time before he's satisfied.*

She gave a soft laugh. "You're being overdramatic. Beach would never be satisfied, even if your dead body did the course at record speed." He glared up at her through one eye. "Poor baby. Suck it up. No pain, no gain. Speaking of which, you're taking back over the mid-day classes starting tomorrow. Kamakura is out on a mission with Torpedo and Shipwreck, and I have the beginners and intermediate classes stacked up."

He sighed and twisted over onto his side. *Jinx?* She tilted her head at him. *Okay, I'll take them. I'll reschedule Psyche-Out to some other time.*

She flopped down onto the bed next to him and he smiled at her and reached to stroke her hair, running it over his fingers. She smiled back. "You seem much more relaxed. Are you starting to feel a little better?" He nodded. "I'm glad. I was pretty worried about my main man for a while."

He looked confused at her. *Why? Is there something wrong with your main man Ripcord?* She narrowed her eyes and mock glared at him. *Joking, don't punch me*

She rolled her eyes. "You're a big baby."

He rolled onto his back then and she scooted over to snuggle up to him, putting one arm across his bare chest. *I'm medically cleared finally. Took them long enough. Hawk told me today, but said I'm not being sent out until BeachHead passes me, and after the hearing on Forsyth's indictment. He thinks they'll want me to be available, in case the other generals want to question me.*

She stroked her hand across his pectoral muscles, unconsciously following the lines of some of his scars. "Do you want me to come?" He took a deep breath then, thinking it over slowly. Finally he shook his head. "Are you sure?" He picked his head up and kissed her temple.

*I don't want you there. You don't need to be around those men.*

She cuddled him and smiled. "Awww.. you're all protective, it's so sweet. They won't bother me."

He snorted. *I don't want you to see they are better looking, you might leave me for one of them.* He twisted as she thumped his ribs a few times.

Scarlett jabbed him again, her voice sharp. "You!! You utter brat!!" He caught her hands and held her as she struggled to hit him again. "Let me go! I'm gonna kick your butt you sneaky ninja! You think you're so funny!" He pant-laughed at her silently. She dragged one wrist down and bit his hand and he snatched away, shaking a finger at her in reproof.

*No biting!* She pounced on top of him, and he struggled to push her hands away as she dug fingers into his sides. He made the sign *NO* over and over at her, twisting as she wrestled him around. His odd silent laughter sounded like soft coughs as he was tickled unmercifully.

"Do you give up? Do you?" He nodded frantically and she grabbed the pillow to put over his face. "You're so horrible." She pulled it away again and bent to kiss him suddenly.

He sighed in contentment. *Thank you for putting up with all of this.* She smiled down at him. *I know that it's been hard for you.*

She leaned over him. "It's okay. You're worth all the trouble. I love you."

He reached up to twine his fingers into her hair gently, pulling her head down to his in a deep kiss. Her eyes softened and she smiled gently at him. Tucking his hand between them, he formed the sign on his chest, then pressed it to hers.

*I love you.*

* * * *

Snake Eyes sat nervously in a back office waiting to be called in to the hearing. The chair wasn't very comfortable, and he shifted around a little, then reached to fiddle with the edge of his rubber mask. His dress uniform felt snug across his chest, where he'd put on a few extra pounds of muscle in the last month. BeachHead's 'special' regimen was paying off finally. He no longer felt like he'd die at the end of every day, although going to sleep wasn't an issue at all.

Lady Jaye sat next to him and sighed suddenly. "Stop messing with your mask." She patted his hand away, and tugged his collar straight, tucking the edge of the mask back into place. "Don't be so nervous. They probably won't even call you in." She reached up to tuck a stray bit of hair into place for him.

He nodded and tried to stop fidgeting. The Cabal of the highest ranking officers in the military were gathered only a few doors away, deciding on what would result from all the actions of Forsyth and his men. They could decide anything they wanted, with the level of authority they held. If they decided, they could put the general and his accomplices into prison for the rest of their lives, or set them free. They could decide to blame him, and put him into prison, or give him a dishonorable discharge. He only had Hawk in his corner, and the waiting was driving him up the wall. Standing up, he began to pace in the small office and Lady Jaye pointed at the chair again. Chagrined, he sat back down.

*Sorry.* She nodded at him and they waited and waited. When the door finally opened, he jumped to his feet. Duke stepped in and motioned for him to follow. Striding down the hallway in utter silence, they entered a large room full of high ranking officers and Snake Eyes felt his stomach turn over. He'd rather face an enemy ninja clan single-handed than be involved in top level military politics.

A unfamiliar captain nodded at him. Duke moved over to stand behind Hawk who sat off to one side with a neutral expression. Snake Eyes walked over to stand at the small table, feeling as if he were about to be tried and convicted all unknowing. Reaching the edge of the table, he came to attention sharply, saluting the group of generals seated with their aides. One of them gave him a very small smile and nodded. "At ease, Sergeant Snake Eyes."

The dark-haired captain handed him a sheaf of papers. "Please look these over, and confirm that this testimony is accurate to the best of your recollection." The commando carefully looked over each page to check that nothing had been altered since he'd typed up the report.

A low comment from someone in the back sounded in the quiet. "Could we confirm Sergeant Snake Eyes identity before we continue?" The captain nodded and walked over. So nervous he couldn't figure out what to do, Snake Eyes looked at Hawk in confusion, and Hawk reached up to tap his own chest. He blinked at him, so Hawk hooked a finger under the chain barely visible at the edge of his dress shirt's collar. Suddenly he understood and fished out his dog tags. The captain held up a electronic reader that blinked a few times and chimed. Then he turned it around and held it out to him.

"Right index finger please." Snake Eyes pressed his fingerprint into the machine until it beeped. The young officer waited patiently and then announced in a loud clear voice. "Identity confirms, Snake Eyes, Sergeant, U.S. Army, further information classified." He turned away to put the machine aside. The ninja nervously went back to checking the pages.

He was listening to muttered comments while he went through each paper. "...thought he was scarred.." "...doesn't look so special.." "...see the number of medals? How'd someone pick up that many?" "I heard that Hawk hand-picked.." "...supposed to trust someone wearing a mask?" He tried to tune them out, and control his breathing before he paniced. Glancing over at Hawk, he saw a almost imperceptible nod and tried to relax.

Finally he flipped the last page over, and straightened the stack. He handed them back to the captain and nodded. The same general in front of him cleared his throat. "Do you swear that these pages are your testimony and is the truth to the best of your knowledge?"

He gave a nod. Someone in the audience spoke up. "Could we have a verbal answer please?"

Hawk spoke up for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Sergeant Snake Eyes is mute due to injuries received in service. He will answer in sign language."

Snake Eyes turned slightly, ignoring the murmur at Hawk's revelation and then took a deep breath before he signed carefully. *This report is my account of the events to the best of my knowledge.* The captain translated for him, speaking clearly and loudly, and the ninja gave him a grateful look.

He stood waiting, and the general in front of him looked him over carefully. "Thank you for your testimony. You're dismissed."

The commando saluted smartly, and turned to walk out. He wasn't sure how he made his way all the way back to the office he'd been waiting in, but he didn't begin to shake until he sat down in the uncomfortable chair in the corner. Lady Jaye got up to hand him a glass of water.

She gave to him, putting it into his hand. "How'd it go? That was pretty fast." He signed to her, telling her he'd merely confirmed his report was accurate and she nodded. "I figured they wouldn't want much more from you. Your report was thorough. You can relax now."

He took a deep shaky breath. *I wish I was back at the Pit. I think I'd rather run through a Cobra firefight naked than go back in that room.* She gave a soft chuckle. *You didn't see, I've never seen so many high ranking officers in one spot, and they were all staring at me.*

She rubbed his arm for him. "Don't worry, they might be higher ranking, but the ones that matter will have noticed your chest full of medals too." He looked down at his ribbon rows pinned to the front of his dress uniform. "They'll also know that Hawk wouldn't be going to bat like this for just some random NCO. He told them pretty plainly that you were a trusted member of his team, and just exactly how important you were to him, and there wasn't any doubt as to what would happen should any of them attempt to poach you for any of their personal projects." He felt his face get hot under the rubber lifelike mask. "Just relax, Hawk will take care of everything. General Forsyth and his cronies won't be getting away with anything. You'll be fine."

He nodded but fidgeted. Hawk might try his best, but the rest of the cabal might just decide that if Forsyth was going down, then the lowly sergeant should go down with him too. It was a few hours before the door opened again. Their own lieutenant stepped in.

Duke gave a grim smile. "Get your stuff, both of you. We're leaving, it's all over." Snake Eyes scooped up his satchel and Lady Jaye's box of files. As they walked out behind Duke, they passed several officers in the outer rooms. He unexpectedly came face to face with Forsyth and stopped dead in his tracks, Duke and LadyJaye moving off without him.

"Snake Eyes." The General had a hard look in his eye. "This isn't finished.. not by a long sight." He was led away by two MPs, followed by Gance in handcuffs. Snake Eyes swallowed, and Duke had to come back to find him.

"Snakes? Come on.. Hawk wants to leave." He ducked his head and followed him again. "You're holding us up, I thought you were right behind me." With his hands full of cases, he couldn't answer so he simply walked faster, following on Duke's heels to the roof heli-pad. Wild Bill was waiting there, with Hawk already in the chopper co-pilot seat. They got in, and stowed the boxes away in the cargo netting before slamming the door shut and strapping in. The helicopter was already lifting off, turning to head out of the city. Once they were airborne, Hawk moved back to look at him.

The commander seated himself across from them. "Forsyth and Gance are both headed to Leavenworth for ten years. Markus turned on them, and testified to the whole deal. Josh collaborated his story, so we really didn't need to bring you in. I'm just as happy we didn't, as I don't want to have the other generals looking you over. The last thing I need is for some of them to decide they'd like to poach you from GI Joe. We can't prove Forsyth or Gance are working with Cobra, even though the two operatives were Crimson Guardsmen. They are all swearing they didn't know about that part. You're cleared of any wrong-doing. That got them ten years instead of fifteen. I'd prefer for them to get life.. but we have to work with what we have. Some of the generals wanted to give you a short sentence, but I wasn't going to let them lock you in prison for even one day. So I had to settle for those two getting off with a ten year sentence."

Snake Eyes nodded at him. *Thank you.*

Hawk leveled a finger at him. "Your welcome. Now try to stay out of trouble for at least a little while." He nodded at that, and they rode back to the Pit and home in mostly silence.

* * * *

Back at the Pit, he'd disembarked and changed, moving down to the dojo quickly, wanting to get himself back into a familiar environment. He was so distracted and wound up, that he'd walked right into someone in the gym. Jumping backwards, he suddenly realized it was Ripcord at nearly the same time that he realized it was him.

The room quieted instantly as they stared at each other. Ripcord cleared his throat and stepped up closer to him. "Hey man. We good?"

Snake Eyes lifted a fist up towards him, and Rip grinned and bumped fists with him. "Cool. You still owe me a bike."

The ninja nodded and signed to him. *I know. I thought I'd get you a Kawasaki Ninja bike...*

Ripcord made a face at him. "Very funny, ha ha ha. See me laughing?"

Snake Eyes gave him an innocent shrug. *I thought that this way the bike could kick your butt in case I was gone on a mission.*

Ripcord stopped dead in his steps, staring after the cocky ninja as he sauntered away. He turned and headed towards one of the laughing onlookers. "Stalker, you need to be telling your man over there that his jokes ain't all that funny."

Stalker grinned at him from the weight lifting bench. "Sorry bud. Ninjas just got weird senses of humor. You're on your own."

Rip snorted loudly. "Great. Wonderful. Just my danged luck."

* * * *

An anonymous country in the middle east: a deserted military airstrip.

Carrying his Uzi tucked under one arm, Snake Eyes trotted across the runway from the big cargo plane that had just landed to a chopper waiting for his team. He was followed by Scarlett and Kamakura.

Stalker stood by the open door on the helicopter, and waved him on board. "Good to have you back, man. We'll need some serious ninja skills on this mission, gonna be hairy to get in, get the stuff and get out."

BeachHead was already inside, and handed him the map packet, reaching around him to give similar packets to the others. Lifeline was stowing a medical pack under the seat, and the drill sergeant had to step over his crouched form. "Don't bother getting outa my way or nuthin', Lifeline." The medic looked over his shoulder. "Don't let me interrupt you putting away the bandaids."

Stalker grinned. "Leave Lifeline alone, you might need him later. You're the extraction team for the commandos, I'm staying on the chopper to coordinate, unless someone screws up and I gotta come rescue their butt."

Scarlett shook her hair out of her face, while Kamakura flipped through the maps, comparing various routes in and out of the building they needed to infiltrate. Snake Eyes looked his over and crouched at BeachHead's feet when he strapped into one of the seats. Pointing at the area he wanted to come from towards the building, he signed his plan quickly.

BeachHead looked at where he pointed, then at his own schematic. "No, I think you need to head in from the north." He pointed at a set of streets. "This is too blocked up, good place to bottleneck you up, and it'd be a bear to get around if things go bad and you gotta make a run back to the chopper. Better to have to circle in from the north side, it's all open over here."

Snake Eyes nodded, pointing at another location and then at BeachHead. The sergeant agreed and patted a large pack strapped into the cargo webbing. "I got some backup, just in case. You ninjas and Scarlett get in something too hairy for you to take care, you beat it back here to my position." He pointed at the map. "I can set up a few nasty things to take care of pursuit here... and here. Slow them down while we move through up here, then circle back to the landing zone."

Stalker had watched this, and nodded. "You guys get dug in somewhere that you can't get out of, and Wild Bill and I will come in to do a hot pick up." Snake Eyes nodded and moved to a seat when the pilot took the helicopter up. They could feel it speed up as Wild Bill took them towards their target. He patted himself, checking his various knives and shuriken in their sheaths and pockets. Reaching up over his shoulder, he lifted the katana loose from the sheath, then let it drop back into place.

BeachHead shook his head at him. "Stop yer danged fidgeting. You're fine, this'll be a piece of cake." Snake Eyes nodded at him.

After a few minutes, he looked at Lifeline who was sitting calmly. The ninja gestured to get his attention. *I'm glad you're going. You stay with the helicopter, don't get out.*

Lifeline gave him a grin. "I won't get out.. unless I need to." Snake Eyes threw his hands up. "How about I'll try to keep my head down, and you do your best not to need to bleed all over me on the chopper ride home this time?"

Laughing silently, Snake Eyes nodded. *Agreed.*

Stalker broke in suddenly. "L.Z. coming up! Get yer hats and bats boys and girls.." Kamakura slung his rifle strap over his chest, checking that it wouldn't interfere with his sword. Scarlett cocked her crossbow and slipped a bolt into place, while BeachHead pulled the backpack on and clipped the chest strap. Picking up his rifle, he cradled it in his arm, and nodded to Snake Eyes to move to the door. Stalker gave them a once-over look. "Alright, Snakes.. you're point man.. Wild Bill, take us down!" He wrenched the door open, snapped the hook onto it to lock it into place and stepping back, rifle held at the ready to cover the team from the chopper if need be.

Snake Eyes crouched in the doorway, swinging the Uzi across the area quickly, checking for hostiles or suspicious movement as they descended in a dimly lit market square. It looked mostly deserted, the few people who had been nearby making themselves scarce as the chopper arrived. The skids got to within ten feet of the ground, and he launched himself out, landing on bent legs and taking off at a run, moving into the first position of cover, knowing his teammates would be at his back... just as they all were trained to do...

Because they were GI Joe.. and this was their job.

* * * *

The End.

It's been a fun ride, hope you've enjoyed! Let me know if you did!

Accomplished is,

willwrite4fics


End file.
